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"  I  only  spoke  for  the  youth,"  she  began. 

Frontispiece.     ( Page  34) 


THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 


By 

DAVID  M.  PARRY 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

HERMANN  C.  WALL 


New  York 
GROSSET   &   DUNLAP 

Publishers 


Copyright  igo6 
The  Bobbs-Merrill  Company 

March 


CONTENTS 


I 

II 
III 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

IX 

X 

XI 

XII 

XIII 
XIV 

XV 

XVI 

XVII 

XVIII 

XIX 

XX 

XXI 


Wherein  I  Take  the  Fatal  Plunge 

1  Become  a  Citizen  of  the  Deep 

I  Take  IVIy  Medicine 

In  Which  I  Eat        .... 

I  See  How  Hunger  May  Be  a  Curse 

An  Afterclap  of  the  Trial 

A  Journey  in  the  Garden  op  Eden 

The  Capitol  of  Atlantis 

The  Court  of  Inquiry    . 

The  Doctor  Makes  a  Confession 

The  Wealth  of  the  Ancients     . 

The  Wheels  of  the  State  Begin  to 
Revolve        

I  Fall  a  Victim  to  the  Lethe  Weed 

The  Sea-Surgeon  Proves  Himself  an 
Orator  


Mr.  Brine's  Views  on  Monetary 
Systems         

The  Prison  of  the  Atavars 

I  Steal  the  Keys  of  the  Prison 

The  Next  Morning  at  the  Prison 

The  Doctor  Talks  About  Atavars 

My  Secret  Meeting  With  AsTRiEA 

AsTRiEA  Tells  Me  Her  Life  Story 


PAGE 
I 

6 

14 
ac 
27 
37 
43 
53 
66 

79 
90 

114 
125 

136 

151 

158 

173 
181 
185 
190 
196 


CONTEt^TS— Continued 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII  The  Doctor's  Hatred  for  the  Defunct 

Federation  of  Labor       ....  206 

XXIII  The  Industrial  Millennium       .               .  217 

XXIV  The  Doctor  Becomes  a  Busy  Man      .        .  225 

XXV  I  Am  Honored  With  Doubtful  Atten- 
tions        233 

XXVI  The  Festival  of  Kuglum       ....  249 

XXyil  I  Am  Made  a  Member  of  the  Vorunk       .  264 

XXVIII  The  Dwarf  Furnishes  Information 

About  the  Vorunk 271 

XXIX  I  Become  the  Author  of  Various 

Excellent  Laws 279 

XXX   My  Hopes  Are  Raised  and  then 

Dashed 287 

XXXI  A  Gift  from  the  Sea 293 

XXXII  The  Scorpion  Becomes  an  Argosy     .       .  303 

XXXIII  My  Last  Services  for  the  State  as  a 

Vorunkian 314 

XXXIV  My  Plans  Are  Frustrated  ....  327 

XXXV  The  Dwarf  Has  the  Truth  Told 

TO  Him 333 

XXXVI  The  Surgeon  Proves  Himself  a  Friend 

IN  Need 340 

XXXVII  The  Death  March  Begins    .        .        .        -351 

XXXVIII  The  Doctor  Does  Not  Fail  Me  .       .        .  359 

XXXIX  Flight  and  Pursuit 374 

XL  Atlantis  Meets  Its  Doom     ....  384 

XLI  Conclusion 396 


THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 


The  Scarlet  Empire 

CHAPTER  I 

WHEREIN    I    TAKE    THE    FATAL    PLUNGE 

As  I  sit  on  my  broad  veranda  gazing  out  to  sea  I 
live  again  through  those  strange  events  which  make 
the  past  appear  as  some  fantastic  dream.  For  many 
years  I  have  shrunk  from  taking  the  world  into  my 
confidence,  for  I  have  feared  abnormally  the  ridicule 
of  men.  But  now  why  need  I  care  ?  My  part  on  this 
stage  of  life  is  nearly  played,  and  to  me  applause  has 
lost  its  charm  and  scorn  its  sting.  So,  while  waiting 
for  the  final  curtain,  I  shall  employ  myself  as  suits  my 
fancy.  I  shall  write  the  tale  of  my  life,  or  rather  of 
that  remarkable  period  which  began  with  my  twenty- 
fifth  year  and  which  was  heralded  in  by  the  following 
announcement  in  one  of  the  popular  dailies : 

"  Yesterday  afternoon,  about  two  o'clock,  a  young 
man  at  Coney  Island  was  seen  to  jump  off  the  long 
pier  which  richly  deserves  to  be  called  the  Suicides' 
Promenade.     His  body  was  not  recovered,  although 


2  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

Officer  Michael  Rafiferty  of  the  Broadway  squad,  who 
was  having  his  day  off  and  who  happened  to  be  on  the 
pier  at  the  time,  made  a  gallant  and  desperate  effort  to 
rescue  the  youth.  It  is  regarded  as  remarkable 
that  after  he  sank  into  the  water  his  head  did  not 
reappear  at  the  surface,  and  it  is  the  theory  of  Offi- 
cer Rafferty  that  the  body  must  have  been  caught 
by  a  strong  undercurrent.  Inquiry  at  Precinct  Sta- 
tion No.  7  later  disclosed  that  John  Walker  of  407 
East  38th  Street  is  missing  and  there  is  evidence  to 
show  it  was  he  who  so  successfully  sought  a  watery 
grave.  Walker  was  said  by  his  landlady  to  be  a 
rather  quiet  individual  but  with  strong  views  as  to  the 
evils  of  the  trusts  and  the  hardships  thrust  upon  the 
poor  of  this  day  by  the  money  kings.  It  is  supposed 
that  he  tired  of  life's  struggle  and  sought  release  in 
death  from  the  sufferings  entailed  by  poverty.  He  had 
no  known  relatives." 

I  have  this  item  framed  and  hanging  in  my  library. 
It  is  now  forty  years  since  it  was  printed.  Little  do 
those  who  happen  to  read  it  imagine  that  it  refers  to 
me  —  to  me,  the  hale  and  portly  man  of  business,  the 
owner  of  this  magnificent  home,  with  all  its  cooks  and 
butlers,  the  well-known  financier  and  respected  citizen, 
the  Honorable  Cyrus  J.  Brown.  But  truth  is  often 
stranger  than  fiction,  and  this  item  of  news  certainly 


THE  FATAL  PLUNGE  3 

does  refer  to  me.     Were  Officer  RaflFerty  alive  to-day 
I  think  I  could  prove  to  him  that  I  have  knowledge  of 
what  happened  on  the  pier  that  day  which  only  the 
man  who  jumped  to  his  supposed  death  could  pos- 
sess.    But,    unfortunately,    the    worthy    Rafferty    has 
been    gathered    to   his    fathers,    and   thus    I    am    de- 
prived of  producing  the  only   human  witness,  aside 
from  myself,  who  could  in  any  degree  testify  to  the 
truth  of  what  I  now  relate.     I  confess  that  I  feel  some 
misgiving  lest  I  ask  too  much  of  the  credulity  of  men, 
but  the   word  of  a   gentleman   is   not  to  be   lightly 
questioned.     I  shall,  in  this  stor>',  be  as  veracious  as 
my  memory  of  those  distant  events  will  permit. 

I  remember  distinctly  that  prior  to  my  memorable 
visit  to  the  pier  I  was  in  somewhat  indigent  circum- 
stances. These  circumstances  compelled  me  to  fast  for 
protracted  periods,  and  my  clothes  became  faded  and 
threadbare.  For  weeks  I  spent  my  waking  hours  in 
walking  the  streets  and  communing  with  myself  as  to 
the  selfish  aspect  of  worldly  affairs,  the  lack  of  wisdom 
displayed  in  the  management  of  things  in  general,  and 
the  manner  in  which  a  man  like  myself  would  set  things 
right  if  mankind  would  only  permit  it.  I  had  become 
an  inner  member  of  an  organization  which  had  for  its 
purpose  the  reformation  of  society  in  such  a  way  that 
no  one  would  have  more  of  this  world's  goods  than 


^  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

another,  and  all  would  know  the  luxury  of  leisure  and 
high  living.  Sometimes  in  the  evenings  we  would 
make  speeches  on  the  street  corners,  and  though,  like  the 
abolitionists  of  old,  we  were  greeted  occasionally  with 
derision  from  those  who  were  hostile  to  our  propa- 
ganda, yet  there  generally  gathered  about  us  a  knot  of 
eager-eyed  men  who  drank  in  our  fervid  eloquence 
with  insatiable  thirst.  By  degrees  I  became  deeply 
and  more  deeply  immersed  in  my  chosen  pursuit  of 
righting  the  evils  of  the  day,  and  as  my  means  dimin- 
ished, the  less  diligent  I  became  in  my  search  for 
remunerative  employment.  Thus  in  time  I  learned 
that  the  reformer's  path  is  strewn  with  thorns,  and  as 
I  took  my  last  saunter  on  the  pier  my  soul  was  pos- 
sessed with  bitterness.  It  was  no  wonder  that,  reach- 
ing the  place  from  which  to  jump,  I  addressed  the 
universe  in  the  following  strain : 

"  Hell  no  longer  has  terrors  for  me.  I  have  lived 
on  the  earth  —  there  can  be  no  greater  hell  than  that. 
What  fools  these  mortals  be  who  prate  about  their 
liberties!  Liberty  to  starve,  liberty  to  slave,  liberty 
to  kill  one's  self  —  curses  on  such  liberty!  They  say 
that  the  majority  rules.  What  a  delusion!  Why,  if 
the  majority  rules,  should  a  few  be  allowed  to  reap 
advantages  not  enjoyed  by  the  majority?  Why  should 
penury    and    plutocracy    grow    side    by    side?     Why 


THE  FATAL  PLUNGE  5 

should  parasites  pass  their  days  in  sumptuous  idleness, 
while  the  majority  become  bent  with  ceaseless  toil? 
Yet  these  deluded  pack-horses  for  the  few  fail  to  see 
that  the  majority  rules  only  in  the  abstract,  and  they 
refuse  to  allow  those  who  would  aid  them  to  come  to 
their  relief.  The  world  is  sadly  in  need  of  reforni,  but 
it  refuses  to  be  reformed,  therefore  will  I  bid  it  fare- 
well. I  go  where  I  no  longer  shall  be  a  slave  to  beings 
no  better  than  myself,  where  all  are  on  a  par,  where  tn 
truth  the  majority  rules  —  I  go  to  enter  into  the  demo- 
cracy of  the  dead." 

I  turned  to  wave  a  last  farewell  to  earth  when  I  saw 
Officer  Rafferty  closely  observing  me,  and  then,  with- 
out more  ado,  I  made  the  fatal  plunge. 


CHAPTER  II 

I    BECOME    A    CITIZEN    OF    THE    DEEP 

The  skeptical  will  doubtless  contend  that  a  man  who 
dives  into  the  ocean  and  fails  to  reappear  in  a  few 
minutes  must  necessarily  be  counted  among  the  dead. 
I,  too,  long  entertained  the  same  belief,  and  naturally 
I  expected  that  once  in  the  chilly  water  I  should 
quickly  be  rid  of  life's  cold  felicity.     As  the  poet  has  it : 

"  Life  is  a  dream  of  cold  felicity, 
And  death  the  thaw  of  all  its  vanity." 

A  thought  that  touched  my  saddened  soul  was  that 
I  should  soon  be  gone  and  that  my  requiem  would  be 
sung  only  by  the  waters  dashing  against  the  pier. 

But  what  was  my  astonishment,  when,  after  sinking 
like  a  plummet  for  what  seemed  many  leagues  and 
yielding  to  the  dreamy  sensations  that  come  to  the 
drowning,  I  awoke  again  to  life,  finding  myself 
stretched  on  a  slab  of  rock  and  gazing  at  a  fish-like 
creature  that  stood  leaning  over  me  and  holding  in  its 
finny  arm  a  knife!  Was  I  dreaming  or  was  I  really 
about  to  be  served  for  a  meal  by  this  denizen  of  the 

6 


A  CITIZEN  OF  THE  DEEP  7 

deep?  I  was  so  dazed  that  I  shall  be  pardoned  for 
having  an  indistinct  memory  of  all  that  occurred ;  but 
nevertheless  I  can  recall  the  fascination  with  which  I 
gazed  on  the  creature.  For  a  moment  it  held  the 
knife  poised  over  my  heart  and  I  thought  my  end  had 
come.  Instead  of  a  murderous  blow,  however,  I  was 
conscious  only  of  the  ripping  of  the  clothes  across  my 
chest  and  then  of  being  rolled  and  thumped  until  the 
blood  coursed  through  my  veins  and  my  restoration  to 
consciousness  was  complete.  Now  I  saw  I  was  no 
longer  in  the  sea,  but  in  a  chamber  of  solid  rock,  and 
that  the  light  did  not  come  from  the  sun,  but  from 
streaks  of  incandescence  in  the  ceiling.  I  breathed 
again  —  inhaling  long  and  deep.  I  was  not  dead  —  I 
was  alive  —  how  strange,  how  wonderful!  I  turned 
my  eyes  on  my  finny  rescuer,  and  while  it  was  still 
pounding  my  body  I  made  a  curious  discovery.  It 
was  a  human  being!  The  fins  were  not  fins  at  all,  but 
hands  and  arms  and  legs.  The  head,  true  enough, 
resembled  the  head  of  a  fish,  but  beneath  it,  through  a 
transparent  part  of  the  scaly  hide,  I  could  see  the 
features  of  a  man. 

"  A  man  within  a  fish ! "  I  exclaimed  in  the  first 
moment  of  my  surprise. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  creature  with  monosyllabic 
brevity. 


8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

'  "Rather  warm  in  that  hide  of  yours,  is  it  not?"  I 
remarked  inanely,  my  mind  not  yet  fully  awake. 

"  It  is,"  he  rejoined. 

He  continued  industriously  to  belabor  my  body,  and 
though  I  wished  to  ask  him  many  questions  the 
physical  punishment  I  was  undergoing-  made  con- 
versation difficult.  At  last  he  desisted,  and  standing 
erect,  threw  back  his  fish-head,  or  rather  hood,  expos- 
ing to  my  view  a  kindly  countenance  and  a  well- 
shaped  head  covered  with  a  shock  of  long  black  hair. 
He  was  blowing  like  a  porpoise,  which  showed  he  had 
not  stinted  his  energy  on  me.  I  liked  this  man  on 
the  instant,  and  my  heart  went  out  in  gratitude  to  him 
for  what  he  had  done.  My  desire  for  death  was 
completely  gone,  and,  feeling  again  the  value  that  a 
normal  man  places  on  his  life,  I  already  looked  back 
with  shame  and  repugnance  on  my  attempt  to  die. 

"  I  can  not  express  my  debt  to  you,"  I  said.  "  I 
am  only  one  of  the  common  herd  who,  penniless  and 
hungry,  drop  themselves  into  the  sea,  but  now  I  know 
that  no  man  should  throw  away  his  life.  I  am  in- 
debted to  you  for  saving  me,  not  only  from  death,  but 
from  the  crime  of  self-destruction." 

"  You  are  a  citizen  of  the  upper  world,"  he  re- 
sponded, "  and  of  course  do  not  know  that  all  men  are 
penniless  in  the  country  to  which  I  belong.     Money 


A  aXIZEN  OF  THE  DEEP  ^ 

is  of  no  value  whatever  among  us,  and  as  for  self- 
destruction,  rest  your  conscience,  for  that  is  not  count- 
ed by  us  a  crime." 

"  For  the  love  of  Heaven,"  I  cried,  bewildered  by 
his  words,  "  is  this  not  some  cavern  along  the  coast, 
and  are  you  not  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  ?  " 

He  looked,  I  thought,  in  pity  at  me  and  replied : 

"  I  know  nothing  of  your  United  States.  I  am  a 
fisherman,  sometimes  a  surgeon,  and  I  am  connected 
with  the  Fishery  Department  of  Atlantis,  or,  as  it  is 
often  called,  the  Scarlet  Empire.  This  chamber  is  not 
on  the  coast  but  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 

I  was  too  stunned  to  reply. 

"  I  foresee,"  he  continued,  "  that  you  will  ask  me 
many  questions.  So  let  me  tell  you  that  the  Scarlet 
Empire  is  a  social  democracy,  the  most  advanced  form 
of  government  in  history,  and  since  you,  being  a  bar- 
barian, only  newly  come  from  the  bleak  wilderness  be- 
yond the  waters,  may  not  understand  what  is  meant  by 
social  democracy,  I  must  say  further  that  ours  is  a 
land  of  many  laws  and  that  among  these  laws  is  one 
limiting  the  number  of  words  which  a  man  may  speak 
in  a  day.  Do  you  observe  this  little  instrument?" 
At  this  he  pointed  to  a  small  object  that  hung  close 
to  his  throat.  "  That  is  a  verbometer  —  it  is  a  curi- 
ous contrivance  too  intricate  to  explain  and  the  inspect- 


10  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ors  of  speech  alone  have  the  knowledge  to  read  from 
it  the  number  of  words  it  registers.  I  am  limited  to 
one  thousand  words  a  day,  and  you  should  be  aware 
that  I  have  already  consumed  much  of  this  quota  on 
you."  * 

"  What !  "  I  exclaimed,  incredulous. 

"  I  see  you  are  slow  to  believe  me  or  else  you  criti- 
cize by  innuendo  one  of  the  laws  of  the  Democracy. 
It  is  dangerous  even  to  hint  a  doubt  as  to  the  right- 
eousness of  any  law.  The  majority  rules  in  Atlantis, 
and  the  individual  must  obey  implicitly.  The  law 
placing  a  limitation  on  speech  was  based  on  the  discov- 
ery made  generations  ago  that  an  unrestrained  tongue 
leads  frequently  to  crime  and  conspiracy;  besides, 
there  is  the  further  consideration  that  it  is  not  just, 
save  where  the  occupation  makes  exception  necessary, 
for  one  individual  to  talk  more  than  another  —  it  is  not 
in  consonance  with  the  fundamental  idea  of  universal 
equality  which  the  Democracy  seeks  to  enforce." 

"  Pardon  me,"  I  said  meekly,  "  I  did  not  intend  to 
criticize  —  I  was  only  voicing  my  surprise." 

"  Let  me  warn  you,  then,  against  being  too  curious 
or  too  much  surprised  —  it  may  get  you  into  trouble," 
he  returned,  standing  with  his  arms  akimbo  and  look« 
ing  me  over  critically. 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  your  warning,"  I  said 


A  CITIZEN  OF  THE  DEEP  ii 

faintly,  feeling  a  sudden  drowsiness.  "  I  do  not  wish 
to  impose  on  your  fund  of  words,  but  I  should  Hke 
to  know  the  name  of  my  rescuer." 

"  I  have  no  name/'  was  the  reply.  "  My  number  is 
713.  Tradition  has  it  that  in  ancient  times  my  fam- 
ily name  was  Brine,  or  at  least  my  wife  so  asserts  in 
private.  You  are  the  first  man  I  ever  saved  —  I  have 
come  across  others  like  yourself,  but  never  succeeded  in 
resuscitating  them.  I  should  judge  you  are  a  rather 
hardy  individual,  although  your  muscles  are  somewhat 
soft,  as  though  not  inured  to  hard  labor.  I  see  you  are 
sleepy,  and  I  am  also  near  the  end  of  my  string  of 
words.  There  is  one  thing  more  I  will  tell  you, 
though,  and  that  is  that  you  are  the  only  foreigner  now 
in  Atlantis  —  some  years  ago  there  were  a  few  of 
your  United  States  people  here,  but  they  have  long, 
been  buried." 

As  I  dozed  off  I  thought  how  strange  it  was  that  I 
should  meet  a  surgeon  in  the  likeness  of  a  fish  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea,  and  that  he  should  speak  the  Eng- 
lish language.  It  was  beyond  comprehension.  Then, 
too,  what  a  wonderful  country  this  Atlantis  must  be ! 
A  social  democracy  —  exactly  what  I  had  been  dream- 
ing of  for  years !  I  should  surely  see  many  marvelous 
things  and  have  experiences  that  would  fill  books. 
But  what  if  I  should  never  be  able  to  return  to  the 


12  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

surface?  I  could  make  no  use  of  my  knowledge. 
This  was  a  disconcerting  thought,  and  the  law  as  to 
the  limitation  of  daily  speech  also  jarred  unpleasantly. 
What  a  ridiculous  law !  To  think  that  I,  who  had 
spent  my  life  in  shouting  my  opinions  from  empty 
barrels  on  street  corners  and  in  pouring  my  wisdom 
into  the  ears  of  any  chance  acquaintance  that  would 
listen  —  I  whose  chief  occupation  had  been  that  of 
talking  from  morning  till  night,  must  now  perforce  be 
silent.  What  absurdity  was  this  !  With  the  most  fan- 
tastic notions  surging  through  my  mind,  I  fell  into  a 
deep  sleep. 

Note:  It  is  perhaps  judicious  that  I  enforce  my  own 
testimony  in  this  chapter  respecting  the  existence  of  human 
beings  living  in  the  sea  as  fish  by  quoting  from  Berosus, 
who,  writing  of  the  ancient  days  of  Chaldea,  says : 

"  In  the  first  year  there  appeared,  from  that  part  of  the 
Erythrean  Sea  which  borders  upon  Babylonia,  an  animal  en- 
dowed with  reason,  by  name  Orannes,  whose  whole  body 
(according  to  the  account  of  Apollodorus)  was  that  of  a 
fish;  that  under  the  fish's  head  he  had  another  head,  with 
feet  also  below  similar  to  those  of  a  man  subjoined  to  the 
fish's  tail.  His  voice,  too,  and  language  was  articulate  and 
human,  and  a  representation  of  him  is  preserved  even  unto 
this  day.  This  being  was  accustomed  to  pass  the  day  among 
men,  but  took  no  food  at  that  season,  and  he  gave  them  an 
insight  into  letters  and  arts  of  all  kinds.  He  taught  them 
to  construct  cities,  to  found  temples,  to  compile  laws,  and 
explained  to  them  the  principles  of  geometrical  knowledge. 
He  made  them  distinguish  the  seeds  of  the  earth,  and 
showed  them  how  to  collect  the  fruits ;  in  short,  he  instructed 


A  CITIZEN  OF  THE  DEEP  13 

them  in  everything  which  would  tend  to  soften  manners  and 
humanize  their  laws.  From  that  time  nothing  material  has 
been  added  by  way  of  improvement  to  his  instructions.  And 
when  the  sun  set,  this  being,  Orannes,  retired  again  into  the 
sea,  and  passed  the  night  in  the  deep,  for  he  was  amphibious. 
After  this  there  appeared  other  animals  like  Orannes." 


CHAPTER  III 

I  TAKE  MY  MEDICINE 

I  must  have  slept  very  soundly,  for  when  conscious- 
ness again  returned  I  found  that  I  had  been  transferred 
without  my  knowledge  to  a  comfortable  cot  in  a  dry 
room.  The  place  had  no  windows  and  its  solid  walls 
appeared  to  be  made  of  scarlet-colored  marble.  But 
what  particularly  aroused  my  wonder  was  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  lighted.  Running  like 
a  border  around  the  ceiling  was  a  narrow  band 
of  great  luminosity.  So  intense  was  this  line  of 
light  that  I  could  not  look  at  it  steadily  enough  to 
determine  its  nature.  I  noticed,  also,  that  the  air  was 
pure  and  that  the  temperature  was  mild  and  pleas- 
ant. There  were  some  fifty  cots  in  the  room,  and 
from  this  I  inferred  I  was  in  some  hospital  ward  or 
army  barracks. 

While  speculating  vainly  as  to  my  immediate  future, 
a  door  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  ward  opened  noise- 
lessly and  there  appeared  a  figure  arrayed  in  a  scarlet 
robe  belted  at  the  waist.  I  looked  and  saw  it  was  a 
man.     His  countenance,  though  not  unpleasant,  had  an 

14 


I  TAKE  MY  MEDICINE  15 

impassive  and  somber  cast.     What  interested  me  most 
about  him,  however,  was  the  breadth  of  his  forehead 
whieh  I  took  to  be  an  indication  of  unusual  intelh- 
gence.     With  a  bare  nod  by  way  of  greeting,  he  ap- 
proached my  cot  and  began  to  make  an  examination  of 
my  physical   condition.     He  felt  my  pulse,  took  my 
temperature,  examined  my  tongue,  sounded  my  ribs 
and  exercised  all  my  limbs.     Not  a  word  did  he  say 
but  after  each  medical  test  he  made  notes  on  a  tablet 
he  earned.     I  resolved  to  remain  patient  until  he  grew 
ready  to  speak.     At  last,  when  he  seemed  about  to  de- 
part, he  said : 

"Stranger,  you  will  have  to  take  prescription  No 
49." 

"  But,  Doctor,"  said  I,  "  I  never  felt  better  in  all  my 
life." 

Without  deigning  to  reply  he  rang  a  gong  and  there 
appeared  a  young  man,  who  was  also  arrayed  in  a 
scarlet  garb.     Receiving  a  written  direction  from  the 
doctor,  he  took  himself  away  and  in  a  few  seconds  re- 
appeared with  a  bottle  of  black  fluid,  on  which  I  could 
make  out  the  number,  forty-nine.    Filling  a  small  glass 
he  held  It  to  my  lips,  and,  not  wishing  to  appear  dis- 
courteous, I  swallowed  the  dreadful  dose.     It  was  as 
vile  a  compound  as  I  had  ever  tasted,  but  I  refrained 
from  comment.    I  was  then  left  alone  for  perhaps  half 


i6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

an  hour,  when  again  came  the  young  man  with  the 
black  bottle  in  his  hand. 

"  It  is  time  for  another  dose,"  he  said  indifferently. 

I  replied  that  I  felt  very  well  and  did  not  care  to 
take  more. 

"  But  you  must !  "  he  said. 

I  thought  of  positive  refusal,  but  again  I  was  in- 
fluenced by  a  desire  not  to  offend,  and  I  swallowed  the 
mixture  with  as  good  grace  as  possible. 

Once  more  I  was  left  alone.  But  behold,  at  the  end 
of  another  half-hour,  in  walked  the  young  man  for 
the  third  time  with  the  black  bottle!  I  began  to  hate 
this  taciturn  individual. 

"  I  will  not  take  any  more  of  that  abominable 
stuff,"  I  cried ;  "  and  that  settles  it !  " 

The  young  man  elevated  his  eyebrows  with  just  a 
suggestion  of  interest  and  then  departed. 

I  had  scarcely  time  to  meditate  over  my  show  of 
independence  when  there  appeared  six  men,  headed 
by  the  doctor. 

"  I  learn,  sir,"  he  began,  "  that  you  decline  to  take 
your  medicine.  This  is  an  unheard-of  act  of  rebellion ! 
Are  you  aware  that  not  for  five  hundred  years  has 
any  one  refused  to  obey  the  State  physicians  ?  " 

I  was  not  aware  of  it,  and  said  so. 

"  Well,   sir,"   he   continued,   "  you   know   it   now  I 


I  TAKE  MY  MEDICINE  17 

Your  late  arrival  in  Atlantis  alone  excuses  you  for  this 
heinous  offense." 

"  But  I  am  an  American  citizen,"  I  hotly  exclaimed, 
"  and  if  I  do  not  care  to  take  medicine  no  man  or 
government,  sir,  can  compel  me  to  take  it !  " 

I  immediately  regretted  this  outburst.  In  a  twink- 
ling the  six  men  had  seized  me  and  pried  open  my 
mouth  as  a  veterinarian  would  open  the  mouth  of  a 
horse,  and  down  went  an  excessively  large  dose  of  the 
nauseous  stuff  into  my  stomach.  I  struggled  the  best 
I  could,  but  it  was  of  no  use  against  such  odds.  Puf- 
fing and  blowing,  and  feeling  as  though  I  had  taken  an 
emetic,  I  was  finally  released.  This  time  it  seemed 
that  I  had  aroused  a  latent  spark  of  interest  in  the 
doctor,  for  he  tarried  after  the  others  had  gone  and 
delivered  himself  of  what  must  have  been  a  lengthy 
speech  for  him.     He  said : 

"  My  dear  young  man,  you  are  certainly  out  of  the 
ordinary!  Your  case  has  a  number  of  strange  points 
about  it,  and  I  foresee  that  I  shall  be  called  on  to 
prepare  an  extended  thesis.  In  this  Democracy, 
which  has  stood  the  test  of  centuries,  the  individual 
yields  implicit  obedience  in  all  things  to  the  majority. 
You  must  acknowledge,  even  though  you  are  an 
American,  that  the  will  of  the  majority  must  be  con- 
sidered supreme.     The  individual  is  merely  one  atom 


i8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

of  the  whole.  The  majority  knows  what  is  good  for 
all,  and  when  it  speaks  the  individual  must  yield  his 
opinion.  If  the  various  individuals  were  allowed  to 
follow  their  own  notions  as  to  what  they  should  or 
should  not  do,  it  is  plain  to  be  seen  that  anarchy  would 
result.  Now  this  prescription  to  which  you  have  ob- 
jected was  discovered  thousands  of  years  ago,  and  it 
has  come  down  to  us  with  all  the  rest  of  the  blessed 
heritage  of  those  days.  Its  efficacy  has  been  proved 
in  millions  of  cases,  and  is  not  open  to  argument.  The 
majority  has  decreed  that  it  should  be  prescribed  when- 
ever the  heart  beats  abnormally.  To  prove  this,  I 
have  only  to  refer  you  to  medical  edict  No.  489667542. 
You  thus  see  that  in  this  land  the  most  solicitous  care 
is  taken  of  the  individual,  and  you  need  never  worry 
your  mind  as  to  what  you  shall  eat,  drink,  or  do." 

As  the  doctor  proceeded  I  began  to  see  my  error,  and 
before  he  had  ended  I  was  very  contrite. 

"  Doctor,  I  wish  to  apologize  for  my  rudeness,"  I 
said.  "  It  was  inexplicable.  For  years  I  have  dreamed 
of  a  social  democracy,  and  now,  when  I  find  I 
actually  live  in  one,  it  ill  becomes  me  to  be  dissatisfied 
with  my  lot.  I  agree  with  you.  The  individual  has 
no  rights  which  are  not  subordinate  to  the  will  of  the 
majority.     I  am  mighty  glad  I  am  here." 

"  I  see  that  you  are  perfectly  sane,  after  all,"  he 


I  TAKE  MY  MEDICINE  19 

replied.  "  At  first  I  began  to  fear  that  your  mental 
processes  were  not  as  they  should  be.  Your  eyes  ap- 
peared to  be  normal,  although  a  little  brighter  than 
they  ought  to  be,  but  this  I  attributed  to  fever  or  ex- 
citement. I  shall  be  very  happy  to  report  that  you  are 
convalescent  and  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  send 
you  to  the  insane  asylum." 

While  we  were  talking  there  had  entered  another 
man,  who  stood  listening  to  our  conversation. 

"  This  is  the  chief  inspector  of  the  young  men's 
dormitory,  in  which  you  are  now  a  resident,"  said  the 
doctor  to  me.  Turning  to  the  inspector,  he  told  him 
there  was  nothing  alarming  in  the  case  and  that  he 
would  later  make  a  full  report.  The  two  then  de- 
parted, and  every  half-hour  afterward  I  took  my 
medicine  without  a  murmur. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IN    WHICH    I    EAT 

It  may  have  been  the  effect  of  the  medicine  or  it 
may  have  been  merely  the  reaction  due  to  the  strenu- 
osity  of  my  experience  —  at  any  rate,  it  seemed  that 
I  should  never  get  enough  sleep.  Now  and  then  I 
would  awake  to  consciousness,  only  to  fall  back,  after 
a  few  moments,  into  deep  and  dreamless  slumber.  It 
was  as  if  I  lay  in  some  leafy  shade  on  a  balmy  day, 
endeavoring  now  and  then  to  open  my  eyes,  but 
always  succumbing  to  the  general  somnolence. 

Hours  must  have  elapsed  when  at  last  I  sat  up  in 
my  cot  wide  awake.  A  full  realization  of  what  had 
happened  came  to  me,  and  my  strange  surroundings 
aroused  in  me  nameless  fears.  I  looked  about  the 
room.  The  light  was  shining  dimly  and  I  concluded 
that  it  was  night.  I  began  to  discern  figures  lying 
upon  the  cots  and  I  thought  I  could  detect  the  sound 
of  breathing.  So  I  had  company  and  a  goodly  amount 
of  it.  But  how  did  all  these  men  retire  without  my 
being  awakened?  Should  I  disturb  them?  No,  it 
would  be  better  to  wait.     However,  I  felt  very  hungry. 

20 


IN  WHICH  I  EAT  21 

Why  had  no  food  been  offered  me?  Could  it  be  pos- 
sible, I  asked  myself,  that  these  people  meant  to 
starve  me? 

I  continued  for  an  hour  or  more  to  torment  myself 
with  these  and  similar  questions,  and  it  seemed  as  if 
I  must  cry  out,  if  only  to  vary  my  train  of  thought, 
when  suddenly  a  bell  in  a  corner  of  the  ceiling  began 
to  ring  out  clamorously.  I  never  felt  so  much  like 
applauding  in  all  my  life.  The  bell  worked  wonders. 
The  sleepers  arose  almost  with  one  accord  and  began 
to  move  about.  At  the  same  time  the  light  grew 
bright,  and  as  I  glanced  upward  I  saw  a  curtain,  which 
had  caused  the  dimness  of  the  sleep-time,  roll  up  at  one 
side  of  the  room.  I  waved  my  hand  in  greeting  to 
my  room-mates,  but  they  gave  me  in  return  only  a 
solemn  nod.  What  queer  beings  these  men  were! 
Though,  as  I  could  see,  they  were  young  in  years,  they 
appeared  to  have  lost  all  zest  for  life.  But  the  doctor, 
who  soon  approached  me,  seemed  quite  cheerful,  as 
though  he  entertained  some  pleasant  anticipations  not 
shared  by  the  others. 

"  So  you  are  awake  this  time  without  doubt,"  said 
he.  "  You  have  had  a  rest  of  sixty  hours,  and  I  be- 
lieve you  are  in  pretty  fair  condition  now — thanks  to 
the  medicine ! "  There  was  the  suspicion  of  a  smile 
about  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  and  I  liked  him  the 


22  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

better  for  it.  I  believed  the  doctor  and  I  were  going 
to  be  friends. 

"Doctor,  I'm  starving!"  I  said. 

"  Ah !  "  he  replied.  "  Appetite  is  a  good  thing  with- 
in bounds.  Enough  of  it  assists  in  the  digestion  of  the 
amount  of  food  necessary  to  support  life,  but  too  much 
of  it  is  a  sin  of  the  flesh  which  you  must  restrain  and 
overcome.  But  of  that  I  shall  speak  more  fully  later 
on.  I  am  to  tell  you  now  that  I  have  been  deputed  as 
your  special  overseer  to  teach  you  the  ways  of  the  life 
and  the  laws  of  Atlantis.  For  this  purpose  a  special 
dispensation  has  been  granted  me  by  the  popular 
assembly  to  talk  as  much  as  needs  be  to  enlighten  you 
as  quickly  as  possible." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that,  Doctor,"  I  replied. 

While  we  were  talking  I  saw  that  those  about  me 
had  each  robed  himself  in  the  common  scarlet  raiment. 
The  doctor  handed  me  a  like  garment,  and  when  I 
asked  for  my  own  apparel  he  informed  me  that  no 
distinction  in  dress  was  permissible  in  Atlantis.  I 
took  the  clothes  and  put  them  on  without  further  de- 
mur. I  found  that  they  were  as  soft  as  silk  in  texture 
and  almost  without  weight.  When  I  had  nearly  fin- 
ished my  attire  the  bell  once  more  began  to  ring. 

In  answer  to  my  inquiry,  the  doctor  told  me  that  the 
first  bell  was  rung  at  seven  o'clock  and  was  the  signal 


IN  WHICH  I  EAT  23 

for  all  to  rise.  The  second  bell,  he  said,  was  rung  at 
seven  thirty,  and  indicated  the  time  of  prayer. 

"  You  must  begin  now  to  fall  into  our  ways,"  said 
he.  "  Every  person,  at  the  ringing  of  the  second 
morning  bell,  must  face  the  east  and,  stooping  well 
forward,  remain  in  silent  prayer  for  sixty  seconds." 

A  quick  glance  about  me  showed  that  all  were 
doing  this,  and  I  did  likewise.  At  the  end  of  perhaps 
a  minute  I  straightened  myself,  but  saw  that  I  was  a 
little  too  soon.  A  man  immediately  approached  and 
called  for  my  number. 

"  Number  ?  "  I  said  in  bewilderment. 

The  doctor  interposed. 

"  He  has  not  yet  received  a  number,  and  is  but  newly 
arrived  among  us,"  he  said,  at  the  same  time  displaying 
a  document  to  the  man,  who,  after  seeing  it,  noted 
something  on  a  tablet  and  bade  us  adieu. 

"  That  was  an  inspector  of  prayers,"  the  doctor  in- 
formed me.  "  He  will  report  you  for  not  praying  the 
required  limit  of  time,  but  I  think  under  the  circum- 
stances you  will  get  only  the  minimum  punishment." 

The  doctor  then  took  occasion  to  whisper  in  my  ear 
that  during  prayers  I  should  count  two  hundred  leis- 
urely and  thus  I  should  come  to  gage  the  time  for  de- 
votions with  great  accuracy. 

I  began  to  feel  that  I  should  have  to  tread  a  danger- 


24  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ous  path  in  my  new  life,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
place  full  trust  and  reliance  in  my  preceptor. 

We  all  now  filed  out  through  the  door  and  entered 
another  apartment  somewhat  like  the  first,  only  much 
larger  in  size.  This  room  was  crossed  lengthwise  by 
four  tables,  along  the  sides  of  which  were  benches. 
The  tables  and  benches  were  made  of  the  same  scarlet 
substance  of  which  the  walls  and  ceilings  were  formed. 
Every  one  sat  down  and  the  waiters  brought  in  some 
copper  plates  and  eating  utensils.  Small  cups  were 
also  passed  and  in  each  of  these  was  poured  a 
steaming  fluid  which  filled  the  air  with  an  aroma  that 
magnified  my  appetite. 

"  This  is  fish  gruel,"  said  the  doctor,  "  and  one  cup 
IS  allowed  for  breakfast.  We  shall  also  have  an  egg 
apiece." 

I  think  there  must  have  been  about  five  good  swal- 
lows in  the  cup,  and  it  was.  gone  in  less  than  a  minute. 
I  noticed  that  the  others  took  longer  time  with  their 
portion.  In  fact,  they  nursed  it  and  were  loath  to  see 
it  disappear.  Some  of  them  even  dipped  their  fingers 
into  it  and  then  licked  them  with  much  relish. 

The  waiters  next  brought  around  the  eggs,  which 
much  resembled  hen  eggs,  but  the  doctor  told  me  they 
were  laid  by  an  animal  that  burrowed  into  the  bed 
of  the  sea.    I  found  the  egg  quite  palatable,  and  when 


IN  WHICH  I  EAT  25 

I  had  consumed  it  I  wished  dearly  for  another  or  for 
a  replenishment  at  least  of  my  cup  of  gruel.  I  did 
not  have  the  courage,  however,  to  ask  for  more,  and 
was  quite  pleased  with  my  timidity  when  I  witnessed 
the  ignominious  failure  of  a  young  man  to  obtain  a 
second  portion.  Instead  of  boldly  asking,  hke  Oliver 
Twist,  he  played  some  conjurer's  trick  with  his  cup 
and  declared  to  the  waiter  that  he  had  not,  as  yet,  had 
his  gruel. 

"  You  must  have  received  it,"  said  the  waiter. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  was  the  reply.  "  You  cer- 
tainly see  I  have  no  cup." 

It  was  evident  that  all  this  was  highly  unusual,  for 
the  attention  of  the  entire  company  was  drawn  to  the 
circumstance.  Now  I  saw  an  inspector  hurry  to 
the  young  man's  side.  There  was  some  sharp  ques- 
tioning by  this  dignitary,  and  then  an  order  to  his 
attendants  to  search  the  blouse  of  the  youth.  The  cup 
was  found.  The  evidence  of  duplicity  on  the  part  of 
the  unfortunate  young  man  was  too  conclusive  to 
admit  of  denial. 

"  Why  did  you  do  this  ? "  asked  the  inspector 
severely. 

"  I  was  huflgry,  sir,  and  wanted  more,"  meekly  came 
the  answer. 

"  You  will  follow  me,"  commanded  the  inspector. 


26  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

The  young  man  arose  and,  surrounded  by  several 
sub-inspectors,  left  the  room. 

I  asked  for  an  explanation. 

"  He  is  under  arrest,"  vouchsafed  my  guardian. 
"  He  has  committed  one  of  the  most  serious  crimes 
known  in  Atlantis  —  that  of  seeking  to  obtain  more 
than  one's  just  portion  of  food." 

"  What  will  be  done  with  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  shall  take  you  to  his  trial,  if  you  choose.  It  will 
further  enlighten  you  as  to  the  excellence  of  our  Social 
Democracy." 


CHAPTER  V 

I  SEE  HOW  HUNGER  MAY  BE  A  CURSE 

We  lost  no  time  in  following  the  prisoner  and  his 
guard.  In  fact,  the  doctor  said  we  must  hurry,  as 
justice  was  swift  and  certain  in  Atlantis. 

For  the  first  time  I  passed  the  portals  of  the  dormi- 
tory to  the  outer  world.  As  I  did  so  I  stopped,  over- 
come with  awe.  It  was  as  though  we  had  stepped 
into  some  vast  cathedral.  Tlie  dormitory  stood  on  a 
small  eminence  and  from  this  vantage-point  I  looked 
down  a  vista  of  titanic  columns,  which  rose  to  a  dome 
of  immeasurable  height.  About  each  pillar  ran  a  line 
of  light  —  a  shining  vine  —  winding  upward  until  its 
brilliancy  contracted  to  a  thread  and  lost  itself  in  the 
upper  air.  The  dome  was  faintly  disclosed  by  lights 
which  shed  their  rays  like  distant  stars.  I  judged 
that  the  pillars  were  from  an  eighth  to  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  apart,  and  I  could  see  that  there  were  rows  be- 
yond rows  to  the  right  and  left  of  those  immediately 
in  my  line  of  vision.  But  though  each  column  bore 
its  garland  of  light,  so  wide  was  the  surrounding  space 
that  the  general  effect  was  scarcely  equal  to  that  of  the 

27 


28  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

full  moon,  and  in  this  half-light  the  columns  shim- 
mered like  colored  marble  and  were  dimly  mirrored 
in  the  smooth  and  glossy  flooring  of  the  mighty  naves. 
At  intervals,  running  transversely  across  the  vista 
down  which  I  looked,  were  channels  from  which  shone 
forth  floods  of  light,  and  these  channels  I  came  after- 
ward to  know  to  be  the  streets  of  Atlantis.  In  the 
day-dreams  of  my  boyhood  I  had  often  pictured  sea 
caverns  with  crystal  walls  and  sweeping  distances,  but 
no  stretch  of  my  imagination  was  ever  comparable  to 
the  reality  that  now  confronted  me. 

I  know  not  how  long  I  might  have  stood  spellbound 
by  the  grandeur  of  the  scene,  had  not  my  conductor 
laid  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  and  enforced  on  my 
mind  the  necessity  for  haste.  He  grasped  my  arm, 
and,  permitting  myself  to  be  piloted,  I  soon  became 
aware  that  we  were  threading  our  way  along  an  At- 
lantian  thoroughfare.  This  highway  was  like  a  trough 
cut  through  walls  of  granite  or  coral,  I  could  not  tell 
which.  The  walls  did  not  rise  more  than  fifty  feet  at 
any  place,  and  I  noticed  that  at  more  or  less  regular 
intervals  doors  had  been  hewn  into  them,  leading,  as 
I  correctly  surmised,  to  store-rooms  and  places  of 
abode.  The  street  was  some  fifty  feet  in  width.  The 
center  was  used  by  vehicles,  while  on  each  side  pedes- 
trians were  coming  and  going  as  in  every  city  I  have 


HOW  HUNGER  MAY  BE  A  CURSE      29 

ever  visited.  The  lighting  system  was  well-nigh  per- 
fect, luminous  arches  stretching  from  wall  to  wall  at 
frequent  intervals. 

The  vehicles  in  the  street  drew  my  attention.  They 
were  constructed  in  strange  designs,  and  what  particu- 
larly excited  my  curiosity  was  the  lack  of  all  visible 
motive  power.  From  looking  at  these  I  turned  to 
regard  the  people  about  me.  I  became  impressed  more 
and  more  with  the  remarkable  similarity  in  their  ap- 
pearance. What  a  dull,  listless,  lethargic  race,  I 
thought.  In  vain  I  looked  for  some  one  with  a  spright- 
ly step,  or  with  a  glint  of  interest,  hope  or  purpose  in 
his  countenance.  Not  one  among  them  gave  me  even 
a  passing  glance,  and  I  felt  in  truth  an  alien  among  a 
people  I  could  not  understand.  Then  a  new  thought 
flashed  on  me  and  I  exclaimed : 

"  Doctor,  I  have  not  seen  a  single  woman !  " 

At  this  my  friend  seemed  about  to  laugh  outright, 
and  I  believe  he  would  have  done  so  had  he  not  been 
in  Atlantis. 

"  Use  your  eyes,"  he  replied.  "  There  is  one !  " 
and  he  pointed  to  a  figure  walking  directly  in  front 
of  us. 

"  I  thought  thai  was  a  man !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  We  are  all  on  a  level  here,  you  know,"  said  fh? 
doctor. 


30  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Truly,  the  leveling  process  has  been  carried  far  i  " 
I  replied. 

"  In  ancient  times,"  he  remarked,  "  woman  was  an 
object  of  beauty.  I  have  read  that  she  once  decked 
herself  in  gaudy  colors  and  had  a  care  for  her  com- 
plexion and  the  dressing  of  her  hair,  that  she  might 
catch  the  favor  of  a  lover,  but  now  there  is  no  neces- 
sity for  such  enticements,  as  the  State  manages  the 
marriages,  thereby  rendering  obsolete  the  barbarous 
custom  of  being  wooed  and  won." 

"  But  how  mannish,  how  slatternly  they  look !  To 
think  they  should  wear  the  same  garb  and  cut  their 
hair  like  the  men  !    How  outrageous " 

"  Silence !  Your  tongue  will  get  you  into  trouble. 
We  are  now  at  our  journey's  end." 

With  this  interruption  of  what  I  immediately  saw 
would  have  been  a  treasonable  utterance,  the  doctor 
led  the  way  through  a  doorway  in  the  coral  wall  and 
we  found  ourselves  in  a  well-lighted  hall.  Here  were 
a  number  of  benches  facing  a  rostrum  and  occupied 
by  some  fifty  individuals,  but  whether  the  occupants 
were  male  or  female  I  could  not  tell  until  I  had  looked 
closely  into  their  faces,  when  I  found  that  most  of 
them  were  men.     Deep  quiet  pervaded  the  place. 

In  a  few  minutes  a  man  ascended  the  rostrum  and 
took  his  seat  on  a  small  dais  in  the  center. 


HOW  HUNGER  MAY  BE  A  CURSE       31 

"  We  are  just  in  time,"  whispered  the  doctor.  "  That 
is  the  judge." 

"  Bring  in  the  culprit !  "  commanded  the  Court  in  a 
loud  voice.  I  noted  that  his  Honor  had  a  muscular 
frame,  a  bullet  head  and  a  stolid  countenance.  If 
physiognomy  counts,  thought  I,  this  man  must  be  a 
model  jurist!  But  I  had  little  time  for  reflection,  for 
the  young  man  in  whom  we  were  interested  was  being 
dragged  forth  like  a  felon  about  to  be  executed,  until 
he  stood  with  trembling  knees  and  hanging  head  be- 
fore the  court. 

The  judge  glowered  at  his  victim. 
"  What's  the  matter  with  you  ?  "  he  bawled.    "  Why 
don't  you  stand  up?    I've  a  mind  to  imprison  you  to 
teach  you  respect  for  the  court.     Clerk,  enter  a  de- 
cree of  three  days." 

A  man  sitting  at  a  table  began  to  write.  Another 
of  somewhat  heavy  build  now  advanced  to  the  plat- 
form, and  said: 

"  Your  Honor,  it  is  my  official  duty  to  inform  you 
that  the  criminal  now  confronting  you  is  No.  489744 
X  Y  Z,  and  that  he  is  domiciled  in  the  dormitory  for 
yopng  men,  No.  457.  He  is  guilty,  sir,  of  attempting 
to  cheat  the  State  and  his  fellow  men  by  falsely  pre- 
tending that  he  has  not  been  served  with  gruel  this 
ciay." 


32  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

The  Court  frowned  heavily  and  said :  "  That  is  a 
most  damnable  offense !     Proceed !  " 

The  prosecutor  then  detailed  with  minute  particu- 
larity all  that  had  occurred  in  the  breakfast-room  and 
wound  up  his  remarks  by  demanding  a  full  vindication 
of  the  majesty  of  the  State. 

"  What  have  you  to  say  for  yourself  ?  "  commanded 
the  Court  harshly,  addressing  the  prisoner. 

No.  489744  X  Y  Z  held  up  his  head  and  showed  a 
face  pale  with  fear.  He  caught  his  breath  once  or 
twice  and  meekly  replied : 

"  I  was  starving,  your  Honor !  " 
"You  were  starving,  were  you?"  roared  the  judge 
contemptuously.    "  I  sentence  you  to  go  without  gruel 
for  thirty  days.     Perhaps  that  will  teach  you  that  our 

Social  Democracy  is " 

Suddenly  the  clear  note  of  a  woman's  voice  rang 
out: 

"  Have  mercy,  sir,  have  mercy !  " 
The  judge,  amazed,  stopped  speaking  and  the  audi- 
ence rose  to  its  feet.  The  figure  of  a  young  woman 
was  advancing  down  the  aisle  to  the  platform.  I  could 
see  nothing  exceptional  about  her  at  first,  but  when 
she  came  nearer  I  noted  with  admiration  the  grace  and 
dignity  with  which  she  walked,  and,  looking  into  her 
face,  I  thought  that  I  had  never  seen  a  countenance  so 


HOW  HUNGER  MAY  BE  A  CURSE       33 

noble  and  beautiful.  As  she  came  forward  a  number 
of  men  seemed  to  block  her  path  and  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation  I  stepped  to  the  front  and  said : 

"  Gentlemen,  please  make  way !  " 

They  parted  to  the  right  and  left,  and  as  she  passed 
she  gave  me  a  little  smile  of  gratitude  that  filled  me 
with  strange  emotion. 

"  What  a  vision !  "  I  muttered,  and  then  I  felt  the 
doctor  give  me  a  warning  clutch  on  the  arm.  Startled 
as  from  a  deep  abstraction  I  looked  swiftly  around, 
and  saw  that  the  people  were  gaping  at  me  as  well  as 
at  the  girl.  A  murmur  of  whispering  was  in  the  room, 
and  suddenly  the  judge  burst  out  in  thunderous  voice: 

"  Arrest  both  the  woman  and  the  man  who  have  just 
spoken.  My  court  is  being  made  a  Bedlam.  Is  this  a 
conspiracy  against  the  State  ?  Officer,  if  any  one  dares 
even  so  much  as  whisper,  take  him  to  jail  immediate- 
ly.    Authority  must  be  respected." 

The  judge's  face  was  red  with  anger,  and  I  dreaded 
the  outcome.  Intense  silence  had  followed  his  out- 
burst. Then  he  snorted  again  and  the  whole  audience 
seemed  to  quail  before  him. 

"  Since  some  semblance  of  respect  for  justice  is 
again  established,"  he  began  ironically,  "  I  shall  deal 
first  with  you,  woman.  Meanwhile  let  the  youth  stand 
where  he  is.    What  said  you  just  now  about  mercy?  " 


34  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

He  turned  his  purple  visage  on  her.  Again  she 
had  become  the  center  of  all  eyes.  I  looked  enrap- 
tured at  her  —  surely  she  was  a  goddess  descended 
from  the  skies ! 

"  I  only  spoke  for  the  youth,"  she  began  in  a  sweet 
voice  which  showed  no  sign  of  wavering.  ''  May  I  not 
speak  for  him  ?  " 

Could  any  one  resist  such  an  appeal?  I  held  my 
breath,  waiting  for  the  reply. 

"  Let's  hear  what  you  have  to  say !  "  exclaimed  the 
judge,  and  though  he  spoke  roughly  I  was  certain  he 
was  not  so  unbending  in  his  sternness  as  he  had  been 
a  moment  before. 

"  You  are  a  good  man  and  a  just  judge,  I  am  sure," 
she  went  on,  her  face  becoming  radiant.  "  You  will 
be  merciful  to  this  boy,  will  you  not?  I  beg  of  you  to 
reconsider  the  decision  you  were  about  to  pronounce. 
I  do  not  ask  you  not  to  administer  justice.  The  de- 
fendant has  been  guilty  of  a  serious  offense  and 
should  be  punished,  but  then  it  is  his  first  offense  and 
he  should  be  dealt  with  kindly.  Mercy,  you  know, 
makes  justice  gracious,  and  I  plead  that  as  you  would 
be  judged  with  compassion  in  the  hereafter  you  now 
be  lenient  with  the  frightened  youth  before  you." 

I  drank  in  every  word.  It  was  not  perhaps  so  much 
the  substance  of  what  she  said  as  the  manner  in  which 


HOW  HUNGER  MAY  BE  A  CURSE       35 

she  said  it  that  went  straight  to  my  heart.  I  looked 
at  the  judge,  and  saw  with  thankfulness  that  the  stern 
Hnes  of  his  face  had  relaxed.  I  knew  then  that  wom- 
an's charm  had  tamed  the  outraged  dignity  of  the 
brute.  I  watched  him  anxiously  as  he  hesitated,  one 
moment  seemingly  about  to  yield  and  the  next  putting 
on  again  a  frowning  front. 

"You  speak  in  riddles,"  he  said  at  last,  as  he  nerv- 
ously drummed  upon  the  arm  of  his  seat.  "  What  can 
I  do?"  he  mused,  not  taking  his  eyes  from  the  beau- 
tiful  face  before  him. 

Then  she  smiled.  It  was  the  final  undoing  of  the 
Court. 

"What  is  all  this,  anyway?"  he  exclaimed  as  if 
bewildered.     "  What  was  it  I  said  -  thirty  days?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  clerk. 

'^  Your  Honor "  called  out  the  prosecutor,  now 

aroused  from  his  trance. 

"  Silence!  Make  that  thirty  a  three.  The  prisoner 
shall  go  without  gruel  for  three  days  —  and  —  remit 
the  prison  sentence.    Away  with  him !  " 

The  young  man  quickly  recovered  his  courage  suf- 
ficiently to  say: 

"  I  thank  your  Honor." 

"  Thanking  me?"  roared  the  Court.  "Enough  of 
this  !     Out  of  my  sight !  " 


36  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

Then  turning  to  the  prosecutor  he  exclaimed  sav- 
agely : 

"  Clear  the  court-room !  This  unseemly  business 
must  come  to  an  end.  Release  the  woman  and  also  the 
man.     The  court's  adjourned." 

There  was  a  scramble  for  the  door. 

I  looked  after  the  girl  as  she  passed  from  the  hall. 
Those  nearest  the  door  fell  back,  giving  her  a  wide 
berth  as  though  they  feared  her.  What  incompre- 
hensible conduct!  Then  as  I  passed  out  I  heard  the 
strident  voice  of  the  prosecutor  exclaim :  "  Your 
Honor,  the  woman  is  an  atavar." 

"  Atavar !  "    The  word  rang  in  my  ears. 

"  Atavar !  "     The  word  filled  my  heart. 


CHAPTER  VI 

AN  AFTERCLAP  OF  THE  TRIAL 

The  doctor  hurried  me  along  the  street  for  a  con- 
siderable way  before  he  uttered  a  word. 

"  Doctor,  why  such  haste  ?  "  I  said.  "  I  should  like 
to  have  another  look  at  that  young  woman.  I  do  not 
think  I  ever  saw  any  one  so  fair ;  and  how  brave  and 
good  she  was  in  coming  to  the  assistance  of  that 
friendless  boy !  " 

"  Yes,  you  would  like  to  see  her,"  he  replied,  "  and 
speak  to  her,  too,  no  doubt.  But  have  you  not  seen 
enough  of  Atlantis  to  know  that  inspectors  are  every- 
where? We  have  not  heard  the  last  of  that  trial,  if  I 
know  anything  at  all  about  this  country.  Social  De- 
mocracy received  a  serious  shock  in  that  court-room 
to-day !  You  do  not  realize  it,  but  I  do.  Such  a 
court  scene  has  not  occurred  here  in  a  decade,  and 
serious  trouble  is  sure  to  result." 

"  But  was  she  not  beautiful  ?  " 

The  doctor  gave  me  a  searching  look. 

"  As  you  value  your  freedom,  man,  be  careful !  "  he 
answered.    "  I  warn  you !    Danger  dogs  every  step  of 

Z7 


38  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  man  that  admires  a  woman  in  Atlantis.  If  I  mis- 
take not,  you  are  already  in  peril,  and  I  know  full  well 
that  she  whom  you  call  beautiful  will  lose  her  freedom 
in  an  hour.  How  any  woman  of  her  power  should  be 
out  of  custody  I  can  hardly  understand.  There  must 
be  something  wrong  in  the  nicely  adjusted  machinery 
of  the  State.  It  was  long  ago  seen  that  in  woman  lay 
the  principal  danger  to  social  democracy.  Swayed 
by  impulse,  unreasoning,  and  delighting  in  inducing 
men  to  act  contrary  to  their  judgment,  it  would  only 
require  a  few  such  creatures  as  you  saw  to-day  to 
wreck  our  entire  political  and  social  system.  The 
judge,  who  proved  himself  so  defenseless  against  that 
woman's  smile,  is  a  marked  man.  He  himself  is  now, 
probably,  wondering  at  his  own  conduct,  and  will, 
most  likely,  have  further  opportunity  to  reflect  behind 
prison  walls." 

"  I  in  danger,  and  she  to  be  imprisoned !  "  I  said 
aloud.  I  could  hardly  comprehend  all  that  the  doctor 
said. 

"  Silence !  "  he  whispered  fiercely  in  my  ear.  He 
looked  uneasily  about.  Close  behind  us  walked  several 
men.  Inspectors,  I  said  to  myself  with  considerable 
uneasiness. 

"  Doctor,"  I  said,  raising  my  voice,  "  I  do  not  think 
that  the  young  man  got  all  he  deserved.    Thirty  days 


AN  AFTERCLAP  OF  THE  TRIAL         39 

on  short  rations  was  only  fair  punishment  for  such  an 
offense." 

"  You  are  right !  "  rephed  the  doctor  with  bolder 
utterance,  "  and  I  am  glad  that  you  so  quickly  appre- 
ciate the  value  of  our  institutions.  I  am  indeed  sorry 
that  you  witnessed  such  a  miscarriage  of  justice  on  the 
first  occasion  of  your  visiting  a  court." 

I  felt  some  shame  in  the  course  of  dissimulation  I 
had  suddenly  embarked  upon  —  shame  because  it 
seemed  as  if  I  were  playing  traitor  to  a  girl  who  would 
scorn  deception.  But  the  knowledge  of  danger  will 
sharpen  a  man's  wits,  and  I  realized,  too,  that  once 
in  prison  I  should  be  unable  to  help  myself  or  to  help 
others.  To  help  others !  Yes,  for  from  that  moment 
a  firm  resolution  possessed  me :  I  would  do  all  in  my 
power  to  assist  the  girl,  and  if  she  were  imprisoned  I 
would  never  give  myself  a  moment's  rest  until  she  was 
released.  Could  it  be  possible  the  doctor  was  right? 
Was  she  really  about  to  be  sent  to  jail?  It  seemed  too 
preposterous  to  be  true.  What  kind  of  country  was 
this  that  tried  to  crush  out  womanly  sympathy,  and 
looked  on  noble  and  generous  deeds  as  unpardon- 
able offenses?  Was  all  this  essential  to  social  de- 
mocracy ? 

These  thoughts  deeply  troubled  me,  and  I  remained 
silent  for  the  rest  of  the  journey  back  to  the  dormi- 


40  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

tory.  We  had  no  sooner  reached  it,  however,  than  I 
was  accosted  by  the  inspector  who  had  noticed  my 
lapse  at  prayer  in  the  morning. 

"  It  has  been  ordered,"  he  said  without  preliminary 
remark,  "  that  you  shall  go  without  dinner  because  of 
your  violation  of  Rule  32  in  the  code  concerning 
prayers." 

I  remembered  what  the  doctor  told  me  as  to  the 
result  of  my  being  reported. 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  "  you  have  been  kindly  dealt 
with,  as  I  predicted.  For  such  a  minor  offense,  par- 
ticularly when  the  extenuating  circumstances  are  quite 
obvious,  the  formality  of  a  trial  is  waived  and  the  mini- 
mum punishment  is  fixed  when  the  report  is  made. 
This  saves  people  a  great  deal  of  time  and  incon- 
venience." 

"  I  am  happy,"  said  I  with  some  bravado,  "  that 
such  consideration  has  been  shown  me.  It  speaks  well 
for  the  lenient  character  of  your  laws." 

The  doctor  regarded  me  for  some  time  out  of  the 
comer  of  his  eye. 

"  By  the  way,  Doctor,"  I  remarked,  "  what  is  the 
religion  of  Atlantis?  What  do  the  people  say  when 
they  pray  ?  " 

The  question  seemed  to  puzzle  my  friend.  He 
cleared  his  throat  deliberately  and  then  said: 


AN  AFTERCLAP  OF  THE  TRIAL         41 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  do  not  know  what  they  do  say 
when  they  pray.     Perhaps  they  say  nothing.     As  for 
myself  —  well,  you  see,  it  is  this  way.    Our  ancestors 
centuries  ago  lived  beneath  the  sun  and  worshiped  it. 
They  turned  to  the  east  each  morning  when  the  globe 
of  fire  appeared  and  made  their  supplications.     This 
practice  became  a  habit,  which  has  come  on  down  to 
the  present  day.     There  is  a  general  feeling  — call  it 
superstition,  religion,  or  whatever  you  please  — that 
calamity  would  overtake  the  nation  if  the  habit  were 
broken,  and  the  majority  long  ago  decreed  that  every 
individual  should  conform  to  the  custom,  this  being  on 
the  theory  that  if  it  was  good  for  one  it  was  good  for 
all,  and  that  if  it  was  beneficial  for  the  common  wel- 
fare none  should  escape  in  contributing  his  share  in 
making  the  benefit  as  large  as  possible." 

The  explanation  struck  me  as  having  some  curious 
aspects,  and  I  remarked : 

"  It  looks  as  if  religion  may  correctly  be  said  to  have 
gone  to  seed,  in  this  country." 

"  I  suppose  that  would  be  a  valid  conclusion,"  said 
the  doctor  indiflferently,  "  but  hereafter  you  must  not 
neglect  to  pray  in  accordance  with  the  laws." 

Although  the  subject  would  have  been  interesting 
under  other  circumstances,  I  found  my  thoughts  re- 
verting constantly  to  the  scene  in  the  court-room,  and 


42  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

I  noticed  also  that  the  doctor's  mind  seemed  to  be  else- 
where.    After  a  pause  I  suddenly  asked : 

"Who  is  she?" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  returned  my  friend,  "  but  you  will 
find  out  in  due  time.  Indeed,  we  shall  not  have  long 
to  wait." 

He  spoke  truly,  for  scarcely  had  he  uttered  the  words 
when  an  inspector  entered  the  room  and  commanded 
us  to  follow  him. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  JOURNEY  IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN 

The  inspector  did  not  conduct  us  to  the  exit  of  the 
dormitory  which  we  had  previously  used,  but  led  the 
way  through  several  rooms  and  halls  and  finally  up  a 
small  flight  of  steps,  when,  on  opening  a  door,  we 
were  ushered  again  into  the  silence  of  the  pillared 
dome.  Once  more  I  stood  transfixed  by  the  scene, 
but  this  time,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  changed  mental 
attitude  with  which  I  regarded  it,  I  felt  that  I  was 
gazing  on  the  cold  magnificence  of  some  mighty 
mausoleum.  A  chill  went  to  my  very  soul.  For  one 
moment  I  entertained  the  thought  that  perhaps,  after 
all,  I  did  die  when  I  jumped  into  the  sea  and  that  this 
was  merely  some  purgatory  reserved  for  those  who 
commit  self-murder. 

"  Step  this  way,"  said  the  guide. 

After  a  short  walk  we  came  to  a  car  that  much  re- 
sembled those  used  on  our  own  street  railroads.  There 
were  the  tracks  also.  We  got  aboard,  the  signal  was 
given,  and  soon  we  were  speeding  past  the  shimmering 
columns  with  their  spirals  of  light.     Faster  and  faster 

43 


44  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

we  went.  For  some  time  we  crossed  over  lighted 
streets  in  rapid  succession,  then  a  space  with  no  streets, 
and  then  again  more  streets.  Another  interval  without 
them,  and  then  we  were  flying  over  a  maze  of  them 
once  more.  We  were  passing  through  villas  and 
towns.  But  one  very  odd  feature  was  the  almost  total 
absence  of  noise.  The  doctor  and  I  talked  without 
the  least  difficulty  of  making  ourselves  heard. 

"  How  fast  are  we  traveling?  "  I  asked. 

"  About  one  farsakh  or  league  a  minute,"  he  replied. 

I  made  a  mental  calculation. 

"  Two  hundred  miles  an  hour !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I 
suppose  this  is  propelled  by  electric  power?"  I  con- 
tinued. 

"  No,  electric  force  is  little  used  in  Atlantis.  We 
derive  all  our  energy  and  heat  and  light  from  radium." 

"And,  pray,  what  is  radium?"  I  asked. 

I  had  never  ridden  on  electric  cars,  and  all  my 
knowledge  of  the  possibilities  of  electricity  as  a  motive 
power  had  been  obtained  from  the  casual  reading  of 
experiments  in  the  laboratories.  As  for  radium,  I  had 
never  even  heard  of  such  a  substance. 

"  You  do  not  have  radium  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth  ?  "  queried  the  doctor,  noting  my  perplexity. 

"  No,"  I  replied,  "  we  use  steam  power  on  the 
earth." 


IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  45 

The    doctor    smiled    with    complacent    superiority. 

"  This  shows,"  he  remarked,  "  that  your  civilization 
is  much  behind  that  of  Atlantis.  I  dare  say  that  your 
people  will  in  time  come  to  use  electricity  and  finally 
radium,  perhaps.  You  are,  indeed,  much  more  for- 
tunate than  your  countr}^men,  for  you  will  now  enjoy  a 
state  of  development  far  in  advance  of  anything 
dreamed  about  on  the  earth. 

"  Perhaps  you  do  not  know  it,"  continued  my  friend, 
after  a  few  moments  of  silence,  "  but  Atlantis  is  the 
birthplace  of  invention  and  scientific  discovery.  Before 
the  deluge,  when  she  sank  into  the  sea  and  became  a 
kingdom  of  the  under  waters " 

"  Oh,  I  remember !  I  remember !  "  I  exclaimed  ex- 
citedly. "  The  name  of  your  country  seemed  familiar 
to  me,  but  I  could  not  place  it.  I  am  in  the  long-lost 
Atlantis,  that  island  of  antiquity  which  became  sub- 
merged in  the  sea  before  the  dawn  of  history.  What 
relief  this  information  gives  me !  I  began  to  fear  that 
I  was  in  some  limbo  of "  I  was  about  to  say  pur- 
gatory, but  I  checked  myself  in  time  and  said 
"  Heaven  "  instead. 

"  As  I  was  saying,"  continued  the  doctor,  disregard- 
ing my  interruption,  "  the  upper  world  owes  much  to 
Atlantis.  It  was  here  that  man  first  began  to  develop 
an  intelligence.     There  is  a  legend,  the  truth  of  which 


46  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

I  can  not  vouch  for,  that  these  gigantic  columns  which 
you  so  admire  are  the  petrified  forests  of  the  Garden  of 
Eden.  You  can  not  see  their  branches  here  below, 
but  if  you  could  ascend"  —  he  pointed  upward  — 
"  you  would  find  that  great  limbs  spread  out  in  all 
directions,  supporting  a  dome  which  seems  a  mass 
of  foliage  and  mineral  matter  impervious  to  water." 

"  How  strange  and  weird  and  miraculous ! "  I 
whispered,  stricken  with  awe. 

"  Miracles  were  performed  in  ancient  times,"  con- 
tinued my  guardian,  "  and  why  should  one  not  have 
happened  in  the  Garden  of  Eden?  At  all  events,  we 
must  believe  the  evidence  of  our  eyes." 

Again  I  lapsed  into  silence,  watching  the  speeding 
scenery  with  new  emotions.  I  noticed  that  we  were 
now  in  a  region  of  hills  and  valleys,  with  few  and 
scattered  signs  of  human  activity.  Was  I  really  in 
the  primeval  abode  of  man,  where  Adam  and  Eve 
once  lived  in  blissful  ignorance  of  right  and  wrong? 

The  doctor  recalled  me  from  the  deep  reverie  in 
which  I  had  become  immersed. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  the  world  owes  much  to  Atlantis. 
Her  people  were  the  first  to  construct  ships,  the  first 
to  engage  in  commerce,  and  the  first  to  plant  colonies  on 
distant  shores.  At  one  time  she  ruled  all  Europe  and 
America.     But  the  deluge  and  the  earthquake  came 


IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  47 

and  in  a  night  she  disappeared,  and  with  her  were 
buried  the  records  of  the  early  civilization  of 
man.  Her  colonies  survived,  however,  and  though 
they  knew  little  of  the  learning,  the  great  inventions 
and  the  advanced  character  of  her  governmental  insti- 
tutions, yet  this  little  they  preserved  and  transmitted 
to  posterity.  The  Phenicians,  for  example,  were  a 
colony  of  Atlantis,  and  from  them  the  world  obtained 
the  alphabet,  the  first  and  perhaps  the  most  marvelous 
invention  of  all  ages.  But  the  credit  for  this  invention 
belongs  to  Atlantis." 

"  I  remember  now,"  I  said,  "  that  students  of  an- 
tiquity can  not  trace  the  development  of  the  Phenician 
alphabet.  It  seems  as  though  it  sprang  suddenly  into 
existence." 

"How  could  such  a  thing  be?"  replied  the  doctor. 
"  The  Phenician  alphabet  was  the  product  of  centuries 
of  slow  development  here  in  Atlantis,  and  when  you 
come  to  examine  the  ancient  records  you  will  be  able 
to  note  backward  the  slow  evolution  of  each  letter 
from  its  original  outline  of  a  human  face." 
"  Wonderful !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"Then,  again,  you  perhaps  know,"  continued  my 
learned  friend,  "  that  there  is  a  hiatus  in  your  history 
between  the  Stone  Age  and  the  Age  of  Bronze.  Be- 
fore men  could  make  bronze  it  would  have  been  nat- 


48  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ural  for  them  to  work  in  copper,  since  bronze  is  made 
of  both  copper  and  tin.  Yet  you  find  no  relics  of  a 
Copper  Age  in  Europe.  But  these  relics  you  will  find 
in  Atlantis  and  also  in  the  lands  of  the  Aztecs  and  the 
Incas  of  America,  two  of  her  ancient  colonies.  Speak- 
ing of  the  Incas,  they  alone  seem  to  have  preserved 
some  of  those  governmental  and  religious  institutions 
of  the  old  Atlantis,  for  I  have  read  with  interest  that 
their  government  approximated  a  great  deal  nearer  to 
social  democracy  than  that  of  any  land  of  which  we 
have  knowledge." 

"  How  is  it,"  I  asked  suddenly,  "  that  you  possess 
any  knowledge  of  the  upper  world  at  all  ?  " 

"  Why,  my  dear  sir,  you  are  not  the  only  visitor  we 
have  had  from  the  upper  world.  Our  Fishery  De- 
partment in  the  past  has  rescued  a  number  of  schol- 
arly men  from  death  in  the  sea.  Again,  we  have 
many  chests  of  books  in  the  Hall  of  Curiosities  that 
have  come  down  to  us  with  wrecks  of  ships.  Was 
there  not  a  great  man  of  your  country  whose  name 
was  Captain  Kidd  ?  " 

"  You  Icnow  about  him !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  We  have  many  books  inscribed  on  the  fly-leaf  with 
his  name,  and  property  of  many  kinds  that  evidently 
belonged  to  him  may  be  found  in  the  Hall  of  Curios- 
ities." 


IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  49 

"  Were  any  of  his  friends  among  those  who  were 
rescued  ?  " 

"  Yes,  at  one  time  quite  a  number.  I  believe  that 
Captain  Kidd  must  have  been  a  great  sociahst." 

"  Yes,  I  beHeve  he  was.  He  certainly  entertained 
ideas  of  common  ownership,  that  would  have  done  him 
credit  in  a  pure  social  democracy.  I  have  no  doubt 
he  would  have  been  a  valuable  acquisition  to  Atlantis, 
had  he  ever  made  you  a  visit." 

"  He  must  have  been  one  of  those  great  characters 
that  live  before  their  time,"  commented  the  doctor. 
"  But  I  was  speaking  about  the  advanced  civilization 
of  Atlantis  at  the  time  of  the  deluge.  The  inventive 
faculty  of  her  people  was  at  that  period  in  full  activity 
and  continued  so  for  several  generations.  Although 
they  were  shut  off  from  comn;iunication  with  the  outer 
world,  they  quickly  readjusted  themselves  to  changed 
conditions.  It  may  have  been  that  a  miracle  was 
wrought  in  their  behalf  to  save  them  from  extinction, 
but  at  all  events,  discoveries  in  electricity  and  radium 
were  made  simultaneously  with  the  submergence  of 
the  country.  Radium  is  a  mineral  which  is  found  in 
large  quantities  in  mines  in  the  interior.  It  has  a 
variety  of  wonderful  properties.  It  is  self-luminous, 
and  under  its  rays  vegetation  grows,  as  I  suppose  it 
does  under  the  rays  of  the  sun.     With  it  the  problem 


50  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

of  existence  was  solved  for  the  buried  people  of  this 
country." 

"  And  did  the  inventive  epoch  come  to  an  end  ?  "  I 
asked. 

"  Yes.  Not  for  some  thousands  of  years  has  there 
been  any  new  invention  in  Atlantis.  It  is  thought 
that  all  possibilities  in  this  line  of  development  have 
been  exhausted.  The  last  great  invention  was  that 
of  Social  Democracy.  At  the  time  of  the  deluge  a 
fierce  conflict  raged  between  the  adherents  of  indi- 
vidualism or  barbarous  civilization  and  a  new  party 
that  stood  for  equality  between  man  and  man  and  the 
amelioration  of  the  inequalities  of  Nature.  This  party 
grew  stronger  with  the  passing  years,  and  after  some 
centuries  of  conflict  established  itself  in  power  and 
founded  the  Social  Democracy  which  now  exists. 
With  this  crowning  achievement  of  the  brain  of  man 
the  state  of  perfection  was  attained,  and  although  there 
is  a  department  of  invention  in  the  State,  those  assigned 
to  labor  in  that  department  have  produced  no  im- 
provements of  any  kind  for  centuries  past,  which  cer- 
tainly is  ample  proof  that  the  limit  of  invention  has 
been  reached." 

"  I  hope,"  said  I,  "  that  the  solution  of  the  problem 
of  social  government  will  not  always  remain  a  secret 
of  the  ocean  depths.     If  I  ever  find  my  way  back  to 


IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN  51 

the  surface,  I  shall  revive  the  fame  of  Atlantis  and 
shall  incidentally  make  myself  famous.     I  shall  take 

the  lecture  platform  and " 

"  I  see,"  dryly  remarked  the  doctor,  "  that  individual 
initiative  and  egotism  form  a  substantial  part  of  your 
character,  despite  your  belief  in  social  democracy." 
"  I  ask  your  indulgence.  Doctor.  I  spoke  thought- 
lessly and  by  force  of  habit  acquired  in  a  society  where 
man  must  fight  and  scheme  for  his  own  selfish  ends. 
I  am  sure  I  shall  be  well  content  to  live  in  this  land 
of  perfection,  where  I  need  no  longer  strive  for  fame 
or  for  a  livelihood." 

The  inspector  accompanying  us  had  taken  no  part  in 
the  conversation,  but  I  noticed  that  he  pricked  up  his 
ears  when  I  made  my  little  lapse  into  the  language  of 
the  struggling  world  above.  But  my  subsequent  re- 
mark drew  from  him  a  word  of  approbation. 

"  I  think,  sir,"  he  said,  "  that  you  will  make  a  good 
citizen  of  our  land." 

He  then  fell  into  the  customary  silence  of  the  At- 
lantide.  Remembering  that  there  was  a  limitation  on 
the  amount  of  daily  speech,  I  did  not  regard  his  taci- 
turnity as  strange,  and  in  my  heart  I  thanked  the 
higher  powers,  whoever  they  were,  for  having,  for 
my  sake,  removed  the  restriction  in  the  case  of  the 
doctor. 


52  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

Off  in  the  distance  I  could  now  see  a  wonderful 
column  of  light,  which  shone  with  almost  the  brilliancy 
of  the  sun. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  That,"  replied  my  guardian,  "  is  a  monument 
erected  to  the  Federation  of  Labor  of  Atlantis.  The 
Federation  was  one  of  the  chief  forces  which  brought 
about  the  Social  Democracy,  and  it  erected  the  monu- 
ment in  honor  of  itself  at  the  time  it  was  at  the  height 
of  its  power.  We  shall  sometime  inspect  it  if  you 
wish." 

I  saw  it  for  only  a  brief  period,  as  intervening  hills 
soon  obstructed  the  view.  But  never,  thought  I,  had 
I  seen  anything  more  beautiful  or  grand.  So  absorbed 
was  I  in  contemplating  it  that  I  did  not  catch  all  of 
the  doctor's  next  remark,  but  one  sentence  recurred  to 
me  long  afterward.  It  was  this :  "  Beyond  the  monu- 
ment several  miles  is  the  wonderful  Crystalline  Wall, 
which  keeps  out  the  sea." 

Suddenly  the  car  came  to  a  stop  and  we  alighted. 

"  Our  destination,"  announced  the  doctor. 

We  had  traveled  for  several  hours. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   CAPITOL  OF   ATLANTIS 

Within  a  short  walk  of  where  the  car  stopped  a 
massive  rock  with  perpendicular  sides  rose  to  a  con- 
siderable height  above  the  surrounding-  plain.  Innu- 
merable lights  shone  from  windows  that  seemed  mere 
apertures. 

"  An  Atlantian  skyscraper !  "  I  exclaimed. 
"  It  is  the  Capitol  of  Atlantis,  the  headquarters  of 
the  various  departments  of  inspectorships/'  said  the 
doctor.  "  It  is  a  wonderful  structure,  hewn  out  of 
solid  rock,  seven  hundred  cubits  in  length,  four  hun- 
dred in  depth,  one  hundred  above  the  surface  and  one 
hundred  below.  It  was  constructed  in  the  old  days 
before  the  Social  Democracy.  How  the  ancients  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  out  such  a  colossal  undertaking  is 
to-day  regarded  as  an  inexplicable  mystery." 

"  It  must  be  in  a  class  with  the  pyramids  of  Egypt," 
I  interjected. 

"  The  records  show  that  it  cost  one  hundred  thou- 
sand talents  of  copper,"  continued  my  friend,  ignoring 
my  reference  to  the  pyramids.     "  These  records  also 

53 


54  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

tell  us  that  it  was  seventy-five  years  in  course  of  con- 
struction. But  how  the  rock  was  hewn  out  and  many 
other  interesting  details  were  left  untold.  The  story 
of  the  building,  as  preserved  in  the  archives,  is  mostly 
one  of  scandal  and  gross  plundering  of  the  people's 
earnings.  One  set  of  officials  after  another  grew  rich 
off  the  job." 

"  It  certainly  is  a  splendid  monument  of  ancient 
civilization,"  I  said,  admiring  its  vast  dimensions. 
"  But  the  Social  Democracy,  I  suppose,  erects  buildings 
like  it  now  without  working  any  hardships  or  in- 
justice on  the  people." 

"  You  are  wrong,  my  friend,"  replied  the  doctor. 
"  There  have  been  no  such  buildings  erected  by  the 
Social  Democracy,  and,  in  fact,  very  few  buildings  of 
any  kind.  Still,  I  have  no  doubt  that  were  the  State 
to-day  to  attempt  such  an  architectural  task  the  people 
would  enjoy  considerable  advantage  over  the  ancients, 
as  happily  boodlers  and  grafters  are  now  wholly  un- 
known." 

The  entrance  to  the  Capitol  to  which  our  guide 
led  us  was  wide  and  spacious.  A  stream  of  men  was 
going  in  and  another  coming  out.  A  man  standing 
in  the  middle  of  the  entrance  as  we  approached  called 
out: 

"  Your  cards !     Show  your  cards !  " 


THE  CAPITOL  OF  ATLANTIS  55 

The  doctor  and  the  inspector  produced  two  pieces 
of  pasteboard. 

"  This  man,"  said  the  doctor,  pointing  to  me,  "  has 
no  card  for " 

"  Both  of  these  men  are  in  my  custody,"  interposed 
the  inspector,  "  and  this  is  my  authority."  With  this 
he  presented  a  paper,  which  the  guard  scanned.  Then 
we  were  allowed  to  proceed. 

"  Must  you  have  a  card  in  Atlantis  ? "  I  asked 
the  doctor  as  we  passed  down  a  long  hall  or  rotunda. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  we  all  have  cards.  This  is 
mine." 

He  handed  me  the  one  he  had  shown  the  guard. 
I  read  on  it  the  following: 


Social  Citizen  No.  311897  M  N  P  Q. 

Habitat,  Dormitory  for  Young  Men  No.  457. 

Occupation,  Physician  at  Dormitory. 


The  card  was  also  stamped  with  a  circular  seal  with 
the  words:  "Issued  4-1 1,  2456,  Department  of  Reg- 
istration," 

"  You  will  note,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  this  is  a 
white   card.     That   color  indicates   that   as   a  citizen 


56  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

my  record  is  good.  Should  I  be  convicted  of  a  serious 
offense  this  card  would  be  taken  up  and  a  green  one 
substituted.  If  I  should  again  be  convicted  of  a 
flagrant  infraction  of  law,  I  should  receive  a  black" 
card  in  place  of  the  green  one.  The  holder  of  a 
black  card  is  the  object  of  special  surveillance,  and, 
like  the  ex-convict  of  the  old  days,  he  is  regarded 
as  guilty  of  any  charge  filed  against  him  until  he 
produces  indisputable  evidence  of  innocence.  But  if 
his  conduct  for  an  entire  year  proves  exemplary  he 
may  in  most  cases  secure  a  pardon,  when  a  white 
card  is  again  exchanged  for  the  black  one." 

"  How  admirable  a  system !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  It  re- 
minds me  strongly  of  the  labor  union  cards  in  Amer- 
ica. A  man  can  not  work  in  a  good  many  places 
up  there  unless  he  holds  a  card  which  shows  him 
to  be  in  good  standing  in  a  union." 

"  The  same  custom  exactly  that  prevailed  in  Atlantis 
before  the  Social  Democracy,"  returned  the  doctor, 
much  interested.  "  The  more  I  learn  about  your  civ- 
ilization the  greater  the  number  of  similarities  I  note 
between  it  and  the  civilization  which  prevailed  for  a 
few  generations  prior  to  the  advent  of  social  equality. 
It  was  from  the  union  card  that  the  idea  of  citizen- 
ship cards  sprang.  In  effect  this  card  is  an  evidence 
that  I  am  a  member  of  the  State  in  good  standing, 


THE  CAPITOL  OF  ATLANTIS  57 

and  am,  therefore,  entitled  to  food  and  lodging  and 
the  right  to  use  the  highways  and  enter  public  build- 
ings when  my  purpose  is  legitimate  and  does  not  in- 
terfere with  the  performance  of  my  duties  or  the 
duties  of  others." 

"  Do  you  have  to  show  your  card  often  ? "  I 
asked. 

"  Rarely,  except  when  traveling.  The  inspectors 
one  meets  every  day  soon  come  to  know  one.  But 
when  a  man  leaves  his  usual  environment  he  must 
be  prepared  to  display  his  credentials  on  frequent 
occasion." 

"  Suppose  a  man  loses  his  card  ? "  I  ventured  to 
suggest. 

"  In  that  case  he  is  immediately  arrested  and  re- 
mains in  prison  for  two  weeks,  pending  an  investiga- 
tion of  his  record  and  a  search  for  the  card.  If 
the  card  is  not  found  he  is  released  and  a  conditional 
card  is  issued  to  him.  These  and  other  precautions 
are  necessary  since  the  cards  of  malefactors  are  occa- 
sionally forfeited  and  the  State  must  be  reasonably 
sure  that  lost  cards  do  not  find  their  way  into  the  pos- 
session of  these  outcasts." 

"  What  happens  to  the  man  whose  card  is  for- 
feited?" 

"  He   either    starves    to   death    or    is   devoured   by 


58  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

wild  beasts  which  haunt  the  dark  and  dismal  caverns 
beyond  the  confines  of  Atlantis." 

A  shudder  went  through  me  as  I  heard  this  remark, 
and  for  a  moment  forebodings  of  coming  danger  op- 
pressed me. 

Then  my  mind  reverted  to  the  girl  of  the  court- 
room, as,  indeed,  it  was  constantly  doing,  and  now 
I  began  to  wonder  whether  I  should  meet  her  in 
the  inquisition  chamber  which  I  surmised  was  our 
destination.  For  some  moments  the  possibility  of 
seeing  her  soon  made  me  so  preoccupied  I  was 
only  half  conscious  of  the  scene  about  me,  and  it 
required  much  exercise  of  will-power  before  I  could 
bring  my  mind  back  to  a  consideration  of  my  imme- 
diate surroundings. 

We  were  threading  our  way  through  a  crowd  of 
silently-moving  men  —  what  a  hive  was  this  Capitol  of 
Atlantis !  I  glanced  up  and  down  the  great  hall,  and 
everywhere  the  light  shone  on  polished  porphyry  and 
marble.  At  intervals  were  strangely-worked  columns, 
hewn  apparently  from  the  solid  rock,  while  in  niches 
along  the  walls  were  many  statues.  These  figures, 
on  close  examination,  displayed  antique  workmanship 
and  the  disintegrating  marks   of  time. 

"  Sculpture  is  one  of  the  lost  arts,"  remarked  the 
doctor,  who  observed  my  examination  of  the  statuary. 


THE  CAPITOL  OF  ATLANTIS  59 

"We  do  not  waste  our  time  on  such  things  now; 
besides,  the  knack  of  making  them  seems  to  have 
departed  from  us.  Men  have  been  assigned  to  art 
work  in  the  past,  but  their  productions  were  so  poor 
that  the  State  was  finally  forced  to  close  its  studio 
departments.  These  marble  figures  are  now  looked 
upon  as  relics  of  the  barbarous  age." 

From  looking  at  the  statues  I  turned  to  reading 
the  signs  over  the  many  doors  that  opened  into  the 
hall.     Among   these   signs   were  the   following: 
Department  of  Sleep  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Time  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Highway  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Bath  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Laundry  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Marriage  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Vocation   Inspectors. 
Department  of  Vital  Statistics. 
Department  of  Dormitory  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Cooking  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Agriculture  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Light  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Heat  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Sanitary  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Medical  Inspectors. 
Department  of  Speech  Inspectors. 


6o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

Department  of  Fisheries  Inspectors. 

Department  of  Etiquette  Inspectors. 

Department  of  Eating-  Inspectors. 

Department  of  Inspectors  of  Inspectors. 

Department  of  Inspectors  of  Inspectors  of  Inspect- 
ors. 

I  grew  tired  of  noting  these  signs.  Men  were 
constantly  going  in  and  out  of  the  various  doors, 
and  through  these  doors  I  caught  occasional  glimpses 
of  walls  of  books  and  files  and  countless  desks,  with 
men  writing  and  handling  documents.  Now  and 
then  we  came  to  transverse  halls,  which  were,  to  all 
appearances,  like  that  in  which  we  were  walking. 
Finally  we  reached  a  broad  stairway  and  began  an 
ascent   of   five   flights. 

"  Are  all  these  floors  occupied  by  departments  ?  " 
I  asked. 

"  Yes,"  the  doctor  answered.  "  There  are  ten  floors 
and  subterranean  basements,  and  although  the  build- 
ing is  so  vast,  such  is  the  size  of  the  State's  business 
that  many  departments  are  forced  to  occupy  outside 
buildings." 

"  Marvelous !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I  estimate  that  each 
floor  must  cover  about  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
acres  and  that  this  would  make  almost  three  square 
miles  of  floor  space  in  the  structure.     The  business 


THE  CAPITOL  OF  ATLANTIS  6i 

of  governing  in  Atlantis  is  most  certainly  stupend- 
ous." 

"  What  else  could  you  expect,  where  all  the  respon- 
sibility for  the  welfare  of  the  individual  is  assumed 
by  the  State?"  replied  the  doctor.  "You  must  re- 
member that  the  State  controls  and  directs  the  entire 
energies  of  the  people,  cares  for  them  from  the  cradle 
to  the  grave,  enforces  equality  among  them  and  neu- 
tralizes the  inequalities  of  Nature.  The  individual 
no  longer  needs  to  cudgel  his  brain  about  anything, 
—  the  government  does  all  the  planning  and  think- 
ing. Of  course  the  work  of  the  government  must 
necessarily  be  great,  but,  immense  as  it  is,  many 
economies  of  time  and  labor  have  been  secured  over 
the  old  system.  Many  useless  occupations  have  been 
abolished,  as,  for  example,  those  of  the  speculator, 
the  banker,  the  politician,  the  jobber  and  the  middle- 
man in  all  lines,  as  well  as  those  that  pampered  to  the 
expensive  whims  of  the  idle  rich.  The  Social  De- 
mocracy has  carried  to  its  logical  conclusion  the 
tendency  toward  concentration  in  industry  which  devel- 
oped under  an  individualistic  regime,  only  instead  of  a 
few  individuals  controlling  capital  and  production  the 
State  controls  them.  It  is  now  a  case  of  monopoly 
run  by  the  government  for  the  people  in  the  place  of 
monopoly  run  by  individuals  for  themselves." 


62  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Such  a  gyDvernment  is  one  of  which  I  have  dreamed 
for  years,"  I  repHed.  "  Therefore  my  great  curiosity, 
I  think,  is  pardonable." 

"  Curiosity  in  a  stranger  like  yourself  is  to  be 
condoned,"  put  in  the  doctor,  "  but  it  is  not  per- 
missible, except  in  the  fifth  degree,  among  the  people 
of  this  country." 

"  So  you  recognize  degrees  in  curiosity  ?  "  I  mut- 
tered. "  But  since  I  do  not  know  what  those  degrees 
are,  I  will  ask  you  how  many  inspectors  there  are 
in  Atlantis." 

"  In  a  population  of  four  million  in  the  five  prov- 
inces there  are  one  million  inspectors,"  he  said.  "  Of 
course  I  use  only  round  numbers,  but  what  I  have 
said  is  approximately  correct." 

I  was  fairly  stunned  by  this  information,  but  veiling 
my  surprise,  I  said: 

"  Your  system  of  inspectorships  must  be  one  of 
the  wonders  of  the  world,  but  perhaps  you  will  be 
interested  to  know  that  in  America  we  have  a  few 
inspectors  ourselves.  For  example,  we  have  there 
what  are  called  walking  delegates.  It  is  the  business 
of  these  gentlemen  to  go  about  among  the  people 
to  see  whether  they  are  working  too  industriously 
or  for  less  pay  than  the  unions  stipulate  they  must 
earn.    They    also    inspect   the   union   cards   held   by 


THE  CAPITOL  OF  ATLANTIS  6^ 

the  workers,  to  make  sure  that  no  one  works  who 
does  not  possess  one  or  who  is  in  arrears  for  dues 
for   the    support   of   the    delegates.     Those    who    do 
not  come  up  to  the   requirements  demanded  by  the 
delegates  are  branded  as  '  scabs  '  and  are  either  phys- 
ically  chastised   or   driven   away    from   the   job   and 
warned  never  to  return.     The  walking  delegate  also 
enters  the  offices  of  the  employer  and  lays  down  the 
law  to  him  as  to  whom  he  shall  employ  and  how  he 
shall  run  his  business.     In  case  the  employer  is  re- 
calcitrant the  delegate  calls  all   his   men   from  their 
work  and  sets  a  guard  about  the  plant  to  prevent  its 
further  operation  until  the  employer  returns  to  reason 
and  accedes  to  the  desires  of  the  delegate.     T  imag- 
ine that  your  very  complete  and  comprehensive  in- 
spectorship   system    is    merely    the    walking-delegate 
system  in  full  bloom." 

"  True,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  I  wonder  sometimes 
at  your  sagacity.  The  historic  fact  is  that  before 
we  had  the  inspectors  we  had  the  walking  delegates. 
At  first  the  delegates,  backed  by  their  unions,  as- 
sumed the  duty  of  looking  after  the  interests  of 
the  laboring  classes.  Some  elements  of  the  popu- 
lation demurred  to  their  interference,  but  they  grad- 
ually became  more  powerful,  nevertheless,  until  at 
last  all  resistance  was  brushed  aside,  and,  by  natural 


64  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

stages,  the  present  system  was  established.  Thus  it 
was  that  the  chaotic  conditions  resulting  from  every 
man's  doing  as  he  pleased  and  thinking  only  for 
himself,  without  regard  to  his  brother  man,  passed 
away  to  make  room  for  the  present  ideal  state,  in 
which  there  is  absolutely  no  strife  of  any  kind  and 
every  man  participates  equally  in  toil  and  in  the  fruits 
of  toil." 

"  I  should  like  to  put  another  question  to  you 
right  there,"  I  interrupted.  "  Where  I  came  from, 
the  job  of  walking  delegate  was  much  sought  after. 
I  should  think  that  every  man  here  would  want  to 
be  an  inspector.  How  do  you  manage  such  an  im- 
portant phase  of  human  nature  and  still  maintain 
equality  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  natural  query,  but  it  is  a  little  difficult 
to  explain  in  a  few  words.  In  the  first  place,  all 
occupations  are  assigned  by  lot,  and  it  is  not  within 
the  power  of  any  man  to  select  his  own  vocation. 
In  the  second  place,  every  individual  gets  exactly 
as  much  food  and  clothing  as  another,  whether  he 
be  an  inspector  or  a  washer  of  dishes.  In  the  third 
place,  the  hours  on  duty  vary  with  the  different  oc- 
cupations, being  longest  with  inspectors  and  gov- 
ernment officials,  and  shortest  with  those  who  dig  in 
the  mines  or  do  other  hard  labor." 


THE  CAPITOL  OF  ATLANTIS  65 

"  How  about  the  glory  of  being  a  dictator  ? "  I 
queried. 

"  Glory,  did  you  say  ?  There  is  no  such  thing  in 
Atlantis." 

The  doctor  spoke  with  so  much  scorn  that  I  thought 
it  discreet  to  drop  the  subject. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    COURT    OF    INQUIRY 

Reaching  the  top  floor  of  the  Capitol  we  passed 
through  several  apparently  never-ending  halls  until 
we  came  to  a  door  over  which  I  marked  the  words : 
The  Court  of  Inquiry.  Entering  we  found  ourselves 
in  an  anteroom,  and  there  sitting  in  gloomy  silence  was 
the  judge  who  had  that  morning  fallen  from  grace. 
We  had  scarcely  taken  seats  when  the  outer  door  re- 
opened and  there  entered  as  ugly  a  creature  of  the  femi- 
nine sex  as  I  had  ever  seen.  She  hobbled  with  a  staff, 
and  turned  up  to  me  an  evil  face,  from  which  the 
flesh  had  shrunk  away,  leaving  only  folds  of  skin 
to  hide  the  bones.  Her  eyes  were  like  those  of  a 
basilisk.  I  could  not  look  on  her  without  a  feeling  of 
disgust  and  loathing. 

We  remained  in  utter  silence  while  now  and  then 
I  glanced  at  the  door  in  the  hope  that  the  girl  would 
come  in  whom  my  thoughts  centered.  But  in  this  I 
was  doomed  to  bitter  disappointment,  for  she  had  not 
appeared  when  the  door  leading  to  the  court- 
room   proper    was    opened    and    we  v/ere  beckoned 

OS 


THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  (ij 

to  enter.  We  found  ourselves  in  a  room  in  which 
was  a  table  piled  with  books,  behind  which  barricade 
sat  five  men.  In  front  of  them  were  a  few  benches 
and  tO'  a  space  on  one  side  of  these  we  were  assigned. 

"  The  judge  of  the  lower  court  will  stand,"  said 
the  chief  of  the  five  judges.  The  man  complied 
as  he  was  bidden,  looking  very  grave. 

"  You  are  aware  that  the  laws  of  Atlantis  were 
made  to  be  enforced,  are  you  not  ? "  continued  the 
justice. 

"  Yes,  your  Honor." 

"  Do  you  know  what  the  laws  are  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Honor." 

"  Do  you  understand  the  theory  of  the  law  ?  " 

"Yes,  your  Honor." 

"  Let  us  see.  Should  any  individual  have  more 
food  than  another  ?  " 

"  No,    your   Honor." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  if  one  man  ate  more  than  another  he 
would  consume  more  of  the  products  of  labor  than 
another  and  inequality  would  at  once  be  established." 

"  Suppose  one  man  weighs  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  pounds  and  another  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
Should  the  heavier  man  whose  appetite,  let  us  say,  is 
the  greater,  have  more  food  than  the  other  ?  " 


68  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  No,  your  Honor,  it  would  not  be  just." 

"  State  some  of  the  beneficent  effects  of  the  equal 
distribution  of  food." 

"  For  one  thing,  it  enables  the  State  to  calculate 
exactly  how  much  food  will  be  required  and  thereby 
to  regulate  the  amount  of  labor  engaged  in  the  va- 
rious food-producing  industries.  For  another  thing, 
it  tends  to  correct  the  errors  of  Nature.  Under  a 
system  that  would  allow  men  to  eat  their  fill  the 
natural  result  would  be  great  inequality  in  men  as 
regards  the  amount  of  food  each  would  consume. 
This  was  the  condition  in  ancient  times.  Some  men 
were  big,  and  some  were  little,  some  had  keen  appe- 
tites and  some  had  small  ones.  Now  all  this  is 
changed.  By  virtue  of  the  policy  of  compelling  men 
with  little  appetites  to  eat  their  proper  amount  of 
food  and  forcing  those  who  crave  for  more  to  be 
satisfied  with  what  is  their  just  share  and  no  more, 
the  inequalities  of  Nature  as  to  the  physical  size  and 
appetite  of  different  individuals  are  being  largely 
modified." 

"  That  is  correct.  Now,  again,  as  to  these  natural 
inequalities  of  which  you  speak.  State  more  specific- 
ally how  the  system  of  equal  distribution  of  food 
corrects  them." 

"  First,   by   tending  to   make   lean   those   who  are 


THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  69 

predisposed  to  obesity,  and  to  make  fat  those  who 
would  be  lean  were  they  not  compelled  to  eat  all 
the  food  assigned  them.  Second,  by  eliminating  from 
the  race  all  individuals  for  whom  the  amount  of 
food  allotted  them  is  not  sufficient  to  sustain  life  and 
also  those  on  the  other  hand  whose  constitutions  can 
not  assimilate  as  much  food  as  they  are  required  to 
eat." 

"Do  you  believe  the  State  to  be  justified  in  thus 
enforcmg  a  rectification  of  the  mistakes  of  Nature?" 
"I  do.  Equality  is  more  precious  than  all  else 
The  distress  of  overeating,  the  pangs  of  hunger,  even 
a  few  lives  must  not  be  permitted  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  establishment  of  equality.  The  majority 
have  rights  which  must  be  made  secure,  though  the 
minority  suffer  thereby." 

"Now,  what  is  the  punishment  fixed  by  the  law 
for  those  who  do  not  observe  in  letter  and  spirit  the 
principle  of  equal  food  consumption?" 

"For  those  who  utter  any  complaint  about  the 
food  supply  the  penalty  is  from  one  to  ten  days  on 
half-rations,  according  to  the  nature  of  their  remarks. 
For  those  who  express  doubts  as  to  the  virtue  of 
equal  consumption  the  penalty  is  imprisonment  and 
bread  and  water  for  from  one  to  six  months.  Open 
denunciation  of  the  principle  of  equality  as  to  food 


70  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

distribution  is  deemed  treasonable  and  is  punished  by 
long  imprisonment  or  withdrawal  of  citizenship  card. 
In  extreme  cases  the  criminal  shall  be  thrown  to  the 
kraken  of  the  sea.  Where  the  offense  consists  in 
merely  asking  for  more,  three  days  without  the  article 
asked  for  is  the  penalty.  Giving  another  a  portion 
of  one's  food  is  punished  by  compelling  the  offender 
to  live  for  from  three  to  fifteen  days  solely  on  the 
article  of  food  which  he  gave  away.  Accepting  a 
gift  of  food  deprives  the  individual  of  the  kind  of 
food  he  accepts  for  from  three  to  fifteen  days.  Where 
the  individual  committing  these  minor  offenses  adds 
deceit  and  lying  to  his  act,  he  is  guilty  of  a  crime 
and  in  his  case  the  penalty  for  the  simple  offense 
shall  be  multiplied  from  ten  to  twenty  times  at  the 
discretion  of  the  court." 

"  Stop  there.  You  seem  to  know  the  law  and 
according  to  your  own  statement  just  made,  No. 
4897/^4.  X  Y  Z  should  have  been  sentenced  to  go 
without  gruel  for  at  least  thirty  days.  You  seem 
to  appreciate  the  fact  that  to  grant  the  right  of  one 
individual  to  eat  more  than  another  would  be  to  under- 
mine the  foundations  of  the  State." 

The  five  judges  bent  their  heads  together.  A  deep 
silence  fell  over  the  court-room.  All  eyes  were  fixed 
en  the  defendant,  whose  face  was  blanched  and  whose 


THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  71 

lips  were  bloodless.     The  chief  justice  again  turned 
to  the  culprit. 

"  I  have  one  more  question  to  ask  you,"  he  said. 
"  Do  you  know  what  the  law  says  shall  be  the  pun- 
ishment of  a  judge  who  does  not  deal  out  justice 
in  accordance  with  the  laws  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Honor,"  replied  the  wretched  jurist, 
with  a  quiver  in  his  voice.  "  In  cases  where  there  are 
extenuating  circumstances,  such  as  a  good  record 
in  the  past,  or  temporary  aberration  of  mind,  the 
punishment  is  withdrawal  of  citizenship  card  for  ten 
days.  To  this  shall  be  added  incarceration  in  an 
insane  hospital  for  six  months,  or  for  such  additional 
length  of  time  as  may  seem  necessary  for  the  re- 
habilitation of  the  mental  powers  of  the  delinquent. 
In  flagrant  cases  the  offender  shall  undergo  the  ex- 
treme penalty  of  having  his  membership  card  forfeited 
for  ever." 

It  was  painful  to  watch  the  efforts  of  the  man  to 
master  himself.  Only  a  few  hours  before  he  was 
playing  the  role  of  a  tyrant,  and  now  his  knees 
shook  and  his  twitching  features  betrayed  the  deadly 
fear  which  he  vainly  strove  to  hide. 

"  It  is  well  that  you  have  not  attempted  to  evade 
responsibility  by  a  plea  of  ignorance,"  replied  the 
chief  justice.     "  Such  a  plea,  of  course,  would  not 


j2  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

have  received  consideration,  as  the  law  will  not  take 
ignorance  as  an  excuse,  but  nevertheless  it  is  to  your 
credit  that  you  did  not  seek  to  justify  yourself  by 
pleading  it.  It  is  also  duly  noted  by  the  court  that 
you  did  not  attempt  to  put  on  the  bold  front  of 
injured  innocence,  and  likewise  that  you  have  made 
no  utterance  of  protest  against  the  laws  and  insti- 
tutions of  the  Social  Democracy,  or  given  expression 
to  any  such  heresy  as,  for  example,  that  put  forth 
by  the  atavar  in  this  case,  that  justice  should  be 
tempered  with  mercy.  But  while  this  court  is  ready 
to  see  extenuating  circumstances  in  your  case,  it, 
of  course,  has  no  alternative  save  to  render  judg- 
ment as  fixed  by  statute.  The  decree  is  that  your 
citizenship  card  shall  be  forfeited  for  ten  days  and 
that  you  shall  be  incarcerated  in  insane  asylum  No.  59 
for  six  months." 

Harsh  though  the  sentence  was,  I  believe  it  came 
as  a  relief  to  the  prisoner,  for  his  face  brightened 
as  though  he  had  been  reprieved  from  death.  He 
followed  an  inspector  of  the  court  out  of  the  room, 
and  that  was  the  last  I  ever  saw  of  this  swashbuckler 
of  a  judge.  I  felt  a  pity  for  him,  for  I  now  be- 
lieved that  the  severity  of  his  outward  bearing  was 
but  a  foil  for  a  tender  heart.  I  was  recalled  from  my 
musings   by   the   strident  voice  of   the    old   woman, 


THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  73 

who  had  accompanied  us  into  the  presence  of  the 
court. 

"  I  am  —  46987  B  C  G,  and  am  overseer  of  insane 
asylum  No.  97,"  she  was  telling  the  chief  justice. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  this  atavar  who  created 
such  a  scene  this  morning?"  queried  the  justice. 

The  question  at  once  riveted  all  my  attention  on 
the  woman. 

"  This  hussy  you  speak  about,"  she  continued,  with 
an  evil  leer,  "  is  No. — 7891  O  C  D.  She  has  al- 
ways given  considerable  trouble,  but  your  kind-hearted 
inspectors  of  asylums  took  it  into  their  heads  some 
time  ago  that  she  was  under  the  law  entitled  to  more 
freedom  of  action  than  I  was  giving  her.  It  is 
true  she  has  not  committed  any  act  that  showed  she 
was  an  atavar  for  three  years  past,  and  although  the 
law  does  say  that  after  three  years  of  good  conduct 
the  inmate  of  an  asylum  may  receive  a  day  off 
from  the  institution  once  a  month,  yet  I  have  known 
from  the  first  that  she  was  of  the  incorrigible  kind. 
I  have  ways  of  telling  that  the  law  does  not  take 
note  of.  I  can  see  it  in  their  eyes.  I  knew  this 
hussy  was  playing  a  part.  She  was  that  careful  in 
what  she  did  that  I  could  not  get  any  proof  of 
her  perfidy.  But  she  showed  quickly  enough  how 
two-faced  she  is  when  the  chance  came.     You  men 


74  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

are  blind  as  bats!  If  it  wasn't  for  a  few  women 
like  myself  the  Social  Democracy  would  soon  go 
to  pieces  on  the  rocks.  A  pretty  lot  you  are  to  make 
laws  that  allow  such  dangerous  characters  to  roam 
at  will  as  this  creature  with  her  frills  and  her  no- 
tions! I  called  the  attention  of  the  inspectors  to 
the  careful  way  in  which  her  hair  was  combed,  and 
do  you  know  she  made  them  believe  that  she  gave 
no  heed  to  her  hair  and  that  it  lay  so  naturally ! 
The  noodles  —  they  were  ready  to  believe  anything 
she  told  them.  But  she's  safe  enough  now,  I  can 
tell  you !  You'll  not  have  any  more  trouble  from  her. 
I've  got  her  confined  in  the  solitary,  and  she'll  stay 
there  the  full  limit  of  the  law  if  I  have  my  way."  And 
she  chuckled  fiendishly. 

"Stop!"  commanded  the  justice.  "You  are  not 
the  Court.  It  is  evident  from  everything  about  this 
case  that  the  woman  in  question  is  an  atavar,  and 
one  of  a  dangerous  kind."  Then  turning  to  his  con- 
freres, he  said: 

"Do  you  think  we  should  summon  her?" 
"If  I  can  put  in  a  word  there,"  interjected  the 
old  woman,  "  I  would  advise  you  not  to  do  so.  You 
men  are  all  alike  —  if  she  comes  here  who  knows 
but  that  there  will  be  other  judges  to  have  their 
cards  forfeited?     I  warn  you  she  is  dangerous.     She 


THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  7^ 

combines  witchcraft  with  her  atavism.  She  will  throw 
a  spell  around  you  and  you  will  no  more  realize 
what  you  are  doing  than  did  the  judge  you  have 
just  sentenced." 

At  this  the  judges  held  a  whispered  consultation, 
the  conclusion  of  which  was  announced  by  the  chief 
justice : 

"  The  Court  has  decided  that  it  knows  sufficient 
of  the  evidence  in  this  case  to  regard  it  as  proved 
that  No. — 7891  O  C  D  is  an  atavar,  who  should 
be  closely  confined,  and,  accordingly  dispensing  with 
the  presence  of  the  accused,  we  decree  that  she  shall 
be  placed  in  solitary  confinement  for  six  months,  and 
as  for  you,  you  termagant,  beware!  She  must  re- 
ceive her  due  allowance  of  food  and  be  treated  in 
accordance  with  the  law  —  no  worse,  no  better." 

The  old  witch  made  a  mock  courtesy,  and  I  saw 
there  Vv^as  a  covert  sneer  in  the  look  she  gave  the 
court  before  shuffling  from  the  room.  During  her 
examination  it  was  with  great  difficulty  I  prevented 
myself  from  committing  some  overt  act  of  indiscre- 
tion. I  could  have  throttled  her  with  no  more  com- 
punction that  I  would  feel  in  killing  a  snake. 

To  think  that  the  girl  was  in  the  power  of  this 
diabolical  creature!  In  solitary  confinement,  too,  and 
doomed  to  stay  there  for  six  months !     My  thoughts 


j^  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

were  such  that,  had  it  not  been  for  my  good  friend, 
the  doctor,  who  in  warning  pinched  my  arm,  I  should 
have  lost  all  prudence.  As  it  was,  when  the  chief 
justice  beckoned  to  me  to  stand  I  had  quite  recovered 
command  of  my  wits,  and  I  listened  to  him  with 
all  the  demeanor  of  a  respectful  citizen. 

"  We  have  before  us  a  full  report  of  your  life 
since  you  came  among  us,"  said  the  judge,  "  and 
we  have  permitted  you  to  witness  the  administration 
of  justice  in  the  cases  of  this  weak  judge  and  this  per- 
verse girl.  We  understand  that  you  believed  in 
Social  Democracy  while  a  citizen  among  the  individ- 
ualists on  earth,  and  that  you  are  strongly  in  sym- 
pathy with  our  institutions.  It  is  true  that  you  have 
committed  one  or  two  small  lapses  from  the  path 
of  loyal  rectitude,  but  some  latitude  is  by  law  allowed 
strangers  like  yourself  in  their  novitiate.  In  the  main 
this  report  is  highly  commendatory,  however,  and 
although  you  displayed  some  solicitude  for  the  girl 
in  the  court-room  this  morning,  we  presume  that 
your  conduct  was  partly  the  result  of  the  habit 
acquired  on  earth  of  being  chivalrous  to  the  other 
sex.  That  you  did  not  fall  so  much  under  the  spell 
of  the  girl  as  did  the  judge  is  proof  of  your  loyalty 
to  the  State,  and  this  proof  is  reinforced  by  remarks 
which  you  were  overheard  to  make  on  your  return 


THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  'jr 

from  the  scene  of  trial.  We  have  decided,  therefore, 
that  there  has  been  nothing  in  your  conduct,  so  far 
as  this  case  goes,  to  make  you  amenable  to  any  of 
our  laws,  and  you  are  released  from  custody." 

"  I  am  duly  sensible  of  the  honor  the  court  has 
paid  me,"  I  replied  with  fine  dissimulation.  "  Truly 
your  institutions  far  exceed  anything  that  I  have 
ever  dreamed  of,  and  I  am  very  glad,  indeed,  of  the 
privilege  accorded  me  of  being  a  citizen  in  a  State 
where  equality  reigns  supreme.  I  can  well  appre- 
ciate that  this  equality  is  so  precious  that  it  is  neces- 
sary to  maintain  the  strictest  surveillance  over  those 
who  show  marked  attributes  of  individuality  unfor- 
tunately inherited  from  their  distant  ancestors." 

"Well  said,  young  man!"  remarked  the  justice. 
"  Those  with  marked  individual  traits  of  character 
are  the  most  dangerous  delinquents  that  the  Social 
Democracy  of  Atlantis  has  to  contend  with.  Yes,  we 
keep  a  very  close  watch  over  those  who  show  the 
symptoms  of  atavism,  as  well  as  those  possessing  a 
perverse  disposition.  You  seem  to  indicate  a  very 
commendable  interest  in  our  admirable  system  of  gov- 
ernment. I  hope  that  you  will  soon  be  assigned  to 
some  occupation  and  receive  a  wife.  I  believe  in 
young  men  settling  down  early  in  life,  and  so  does 
the  Social  Democracy." 


78  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

With  that  we  departed  and  returned  the  way  we 
came  to  the  dormitory.  There  I  went  without  my 
evening  meal  in  accordance  with  the  punishment  that 
had  been  meted  out  to  me  for  having  been  too  quick 
with  my  prayers. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    DOCTOR    MAKES    A    CONFESSION 

I  awoke  with  a  start  the  next  morning.  I  had 
been  dreaming  that  I  had  risen  from  sleep  and  wit- 
nessed the  rising  of  the  sun.  What  tricks  the  mind 
will  play  us  when  the  conscious  self  is  still  steeped 
in  slumber!  It  seemed  so  real,  that  dream.  The 
eastern  sky  was  brilliant  with  the  colors  of  the  dawn, 
while  in  the  west  a  star  or  two  twinkled  through 
the  dwindling  shadows  of  the  night.  I  could  hear 
the  twittering  of  birds  and  could  see  long  stretches 
of  meadow  partly  hidden  in  the  morning  mist.  I 
thought  I  drew  deep  breaths  of  invigorating  air  and 
that  I  exulted  with  nature  in  the  birth  of  a  new 
day.  The  sun,  in  all  the  panoply  of  his  mighty 
greatness,  emerged  above  the  horizon,  and  then,  alas, 
I  awoke  —  awoke  with  a  bell  ringing  in  my  ears,  to 
the  sickening  reality  of  the  radium-lighted  dungeon 
of  the  sea ! 

I  groaned  involuntarily.  That  I  should  have  to 
pass  the  rest  of  my  days  in  Atlantis  seemed  now  a 
fate    most   unbearable.     Then   came    the   thought    of 

79 


8o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

Atavar  —  I  knew  her  by  no  other  name  —  imprisoned 
in  some  black  hole  with  an  evil  hag  as  a  jailer. 
My  thoughts  ran  in  bitter  channels.  I  began  to  re- 
vile in  strong  terms  the  Social  Democracy  —  I  who 
once  was  proud  to  pose  as  a  martyr  to  the  cause 
of  socialism.  Thus  does  experience  often  cause  us 
to  reject  and  scorn  views  once  deeply  cherished.  Be- 
lieve in  a  system  which  found  it  necessary  to  entomb 
innocence  and  beauty  in  living  graves  as  the  most 
dangerous  enemies  of  the  State?  No,  never!  I  con- 
tinued in  this  wise  to  reason  with  myself  and  from 
that  day  to  this  I  have  always  been  thankful  in  my 
heart  that  sane  judgment  thoroughly  triumphed  at 
this  critical  moment  in  my  life. 

I  glanced  about  at  my  comrades  of  the  dormitory. 
These  creatures,  what  are  they?  I  asked  myself. 
Miserable  wretches,  with  souls  withered  into  nothing- 
ness, moving  like  automata  through  their  aimless, 
barren  lives,  slaves  to  their  laws.  Laws  !  laws  !  laws ! 
Was  there  ever  before  in  all  the  universe  a  country 
where  man-made  laws  had  embalmed  in  mummydom 
an  entire  race? 

The  scales  fell  from  my  eyes  and  I  beheld  how,  in 
their  delirious  pursuit  of  equality,  the  Atlantides  had 
founded  a  despotism  so  complete  that  it  was  stifling 
all  the  faculties  which  distinguish  man  from  the  brute. 


DOCTOR  MAKES  A  CONFESSION       8i 

Surely,  I  said  to  myself,  if  Satan  has  a  kingdom 
he  has  it  here  in  Atlantis. 

These  reflections  were  interrupted  by  a  diversion 
in  the  sleeping  ward.  My  comrades  here  and  there 
were  rising  from  sleep,  when  six  men  entered  the 
room,  and,  proceeding  to  one  of  the  cots,  lifted  up 
the  form  of  a  man  and  carried  it  out.  I  noted  that 
the  arms  and  legs  of  the  man  hung  lifeless,  but  I 
inferred  that  he  was  only  sick  and  was  being  re- 
moved to  the  hospital  ward.  No  one  appeared  to 
give  the  episode  a  passing  thought.  After  the 
morning  meal  the  doctor  showed  me  to  his  labora- 
tory—  a  small  room  with  many  shelves  filled  with 
books  and  filing-cases  —  and  it  occurred  to  me  to 
ask  about  the  young  man  who  had  been  removed. 

"  Why,  my  dear  friend,"  responded  the  doctor,  "  he 
was  dead ! " 

"  Dead !  "  I  echoed,  horror-stricken, 

"  Yes,  dead.  He  had  strangled  himself  with  a 
cord  in  the  night." 

"My  God!     Suicide?" 

"  Do  not  take  it  so  hard,"  went  on  the  doctor  in 
quiet  tones.     "  It  is  nothing,  this  thing  of  suicide." 

"  Nothing  to  kill  one's  self  ?  "  I  asked  in  amaze- 
ment. 

The    doctor   looked   on   me   with   a    strange    ligfht 


82  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

in  his  eyes.  He  lowered  his  voice  to  a  whisper.  I 
feared  he  was  not  quite  right  in  his  mind. 

"  Think,"  said  he,  "  of  the  restful  oblivion  of  the 
grave,  where  consciousness  is  freed  from  the  misery 
of  this  damning  monotony,  I  have  closed  the  eyes 
of  many  a  youth  who  with  his  own  hand  sought  the 
happiness  he  could  not  find  while  living.  When  I 
see  them  meditating  from  day  to  day  on  the  doing 
of  the  deed,  do  you  think  I  interfere  ?  Not  I !  I 
v^^ould  assist  them  if  I  dared.  Before  you  came  I, 
myself,  was  merely  putting  off  from  time  to  time 
the  accomplishment  of  my  own  freedom.  Do  not 
look  so  pained.  I  tell  you  that  suicide  is  a  brave, 
noble  act,  and  those  that  commit  it  are  to  be  envied, 
not  condemned  or  pitied." 

The  doctor  paused  and,  picking  up  a  bottle  filled 
with  small  black  pellets,  continued: 

"  Here  is  a  deadly  poison  sufficient  to  emancipate  a 
thousand  men  from  the  misery  of  existence.  Take 
one  of  these  pellets  and  you  can  not  live  an  hour." 

He  stroked  the  bottle  almost  lovingly,  and  then, 
opening  it,  took  one  of  the  pellets,  and  handed  it  to  me. 

"  Take  that,"  he  said.  "  Some  day  you  may  appre- 
ciate the  gift  as  a  favor." 

I  accepted  the  pellet  mechanically  and  hid  it  in 
a  small  pocket  in  my  robe. 


DOCTOR  MAKES  A  CONFESSION        83 

"Is  there  no  law  against  suicide?"  I  asked,  not 
knowing  what  else  to  say. 

"  Law !  Of  course  there  is  a  law.  It  is  a  model 
enactment  —  explicit,  comprehensive  and  punitive  to 
the  last  degree.  There  is  no  loophole  to  be  found 
in  it." 

The  doctor  smiled  grimly  and  continued : 

"  But  when  a  man  makes  up  his  mind  to  die  he 
defies  all  laws.  For  one  supreme  moment  he  asserts 
his  independence  as  an  individual,  and  while  it  is 
true  he  dies  yet  he  performs  at  least  one  act  in  re- 
sponse to  his  own  will.  Those  that  fail  in  the  act 
are  of  course  imprisoned,  but  they  usually  succeed. 
The  chief  effect  of  the  law  is  to  make  them  succeed." 

"  Doctor,"  I  responded,  "  you  do  not  seem  to  be 
yourself  this  morning.  Why  should  you,  who  are 
such  a  good  citizen  of  the  Social  Democracy,  utter 
sentiments  that  sound  much  to  me  like  blasphemy? 
Do  you  know  that  you  have  practically  advised  me 
to  commit  self-murder?  " 

"  There,  now,"  he  replied  in  whispered  entreaty, 
"  do  not  use  harsh  terms.  I  did  not  mean  to  shock 
you.  But  remember  you  are  still  a  stranger  to  this 
country.  You  will  understand  when  you  have  been 
here  a  while  longer." 

He  gave  me  a  searching  look  and  I  saw  that  his 


84  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

hand  trembled  and  that  some  strong  emotion  seemed 
to  be  mastering  him. 

"  It  is  time  for  me  to  speak  plainly  to  you,"  he 
whispered  with  intensity.  "  I  believe  I  can  trust  you. 
I  have  studied  you  and  I  know  there  has  been  rising 
in  your  mind  an  abhorrence  of  this  country  and  its 
laws.     Is  it  not  so?  " 

"Yes/'  I  said. 

^'  I  knew  it,  I  knew  it ! "  he  replied  excitedly,  fixing 
my  eyes  with  a  steady  gaze  that  read  my  very  soul. 
**  Now  will  I  make  a  confession  to  you.  Know,  my 
dear  friend,  that  I  who  outwardly  am  the  most  loyal 
of  the  loyal,  am  at  heart  the  State's  most  bitter  foe. 
I  am  an  atavar !  " 

'"  An  atavar !  you  an  atavar !  "  I  was  altogether  in- 
credulous. 

*'  Yes,  an  atavar,"  he  reiterated,  throwing  back  his 
head  defiantly.  "  An  atavar  of  the  most  dangerous 
kind,  for  I  have  hidden  my  secret  until  this  moment 
from  every  living  soul,  waiting  patiently  for  the  time 
when  I  might  strike  a  blow  which  would  tell." 

He  began  to  pace  up  and  down  the  room,  con- 
tinuing his  confession  in  intense  but  low-pitched  tones 
born  of  years  of  caution. 

"  I  had  almost  despaired  when  you  appeared. 
Year  after  year  have  I  hoped  to  find  some  one  in 


DOCTOR  MAKES  A  CONFESSION        85 

whom  I  could  confide.  Some  there  were  who  would 
have  gladly  listened  to  me,  but  I  feared  their  indis- 
cretion. Others  there  may  be  who  are  living  a  lie 
as  I  am  doing,  but  if  so,  they,  too,  must  fear  to 
confess  their  secret  and  so  I  do  not  know  them. 
But  with  you  the  case  is  different.  You  have  in- 
herited qualities  of  self-reliance  and  resourcefulness. 
In  your  blood  is  that  determination,  that  will  that 
conquers  obstacles,  and  you  possess  confidence  in  the 
dictates  of  your  own  judgment  and  the  power  of  your 
own  right  arm.  Generations  of  men,  molded  in  the 
storm  and  stress  of  individual  freedom,  have  be- 
queathed to  you  strength  of  character  not  to  be  found 
in  any  of  those  native  to  this  land.  I  feel  that  I 
make  no  mistake  in  opening  my  heart  to  you.  Long 
have  I  bided  my  time,  and  at  last  my  patience  is  re- 
warded." 

I  listened  to  the  doctor's  speech  in  growing  wonder, 
not  unmixed  with  joy. 

"  And  you  are  an  atavar !  "  I  repeated. 

"  Yes,  an  atavar,  and  I  am  proud  to  own  to  it. 
You  have  my  secret  now.  One  word  from  you  and 
I  should  be  thrown  in  prison  to  remain  until  my  bones 
mingled  with  the  earth.  But  I  know  you  will  not 
betray  me."     The  doctor  paused. 

"  Nothing  could  make  me  disclose  such  a  secret. 


86  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

You  may  depend  on  it,"  I  reassured  him.     He  contin- 
ued: 

"  The  knowledge  came  to  me  that  I  was  different 
from  the  others  when  still  a  child  in  the  public 
nursery.  I  chafed  under  the  restrictions  placed  on 
our  play,  and  the  clock-like  precision  with  which  our 
lives  were  regulated  was  irksome  to  my  spirit.  But 
I  uttered  no  complaint.  I  used  my  mind  and  saw 
that  to  complain  was  to  be  punished.  So  I  left  com- 
plaining to  others,  and  while  my  heart  rankled  against 
the  restraint  on  my  freedom  I  posed  as  a  youth 
most  obedient  to  the  State.  When  I  grew  older  I 
met  by  accident  a  girl  whose  sadness  of  face  and 
gentleness  of  manner  touched  me  deeply.  I  imposed 
on  my  good  record  and  so  managed  to  see  her 
secretly.  But  it  was  an  idle  dream.  She  was  taken 
from  me  and  mated  to  another.  Because  of  my  de- 
fiance of  the  marriage  code  I  was  imprisoned  for 
many  months  and  when  at  last  I  was  discharged  it 
was  with  a  decree  that  never  should  woman  be  given 
me  to  wed.  Little  did  my  judges  dream  how  well 
their  judgment  attuned  with  my  desires,  else  they 
would  have  forced  upon  me  some  supercilious  creature 
to  mock  the  memory  of  her  I  had  lost.  Long  years 
have  I  brooded  on  the  wrong  committed  against 
us,  and  now  so  whetted  is  my  wish  for  vengeance 


DOCTOR  MAKES  A  CONFESSION        87 

that  I  would  deem  it  the  highest  privilege  fate  could 
grant  if  I  could  with  my  life  accomplish  one  small 
thing  toward  the  destruction  of  this  cursed  Democra- 
cy —  this  damnable  Democracy,  which,  like  an  octopus 
with  a  million  tentacles,  is  throttling  the  manhood  of 
our  entire  race.  Ah,  my  friend !  Forgive  me  for  the 
feeling  I  have  shown  —  there  is  a  cause,  there  is  a 
cause !  " 

There  were  tears  in  his  eyes.  In  my  great  pity 
for  him,  I  grasped  his  hand  and  said :  "  My  dear 
Doctor,  I  am  deeply  grateful  for  your  confidence.  I 
who  was  so  lonely  in  this  new  world  am  made  to 
feel  again  the  touch  of  human  sympathy.  We  under- 
stand each  other." 

The  doctor  with  an  effort  recovered  his  usual  se- 
renity and  busied  himself  with  his  bottles.  Soon  he 
was  speaking  again. 

"  I  have  something  more  to  say,"  he  went  on,  "  and 
that  is  that  you,  because  of  your  power  to  think  and 
act  for  yourself,  are  capable  of  coping  with  any  man 
or  set  of  men  to  be  found  in  Atlantis.  Because  of 
my  knowledge  of  the  place  and  its  ways  I  could 
give  you  good  counsel,  and,  between  us,  who  knows 
what  can  be  accomplished  ?  " 

He  looked  anxiously  into  my  facCo  I  pondered  for 
several  minutes  and  then  replied: 


88  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  My  friend,  I  do  not  censure  you  for  wishing  to 
revolutionize  this  kingdom  of  the  sea.  But  my  judg- 
ment says  no.  It  can  not  be  done.  I  have  marked 
our  young  comrades  dragging  themselves  away  in 
the  morning  to  their  daily  labor  like  felons  march- 
ing to  the  prison  factories.  There  is  no  material 
there  with  which  to  build  our  revolution.  They 
would  not  understand  —  they  can  not  understand. 
Your  atavars,  too  few  in  number,  are  either  dead  or 
buried  in  dungeons  we  can  not  open.  Besides,  Doc- 
tor, I  have  had  my  fling  at  reforming  people  against 
their  will,  and  it  is  a  thankless  task.  Do  not  fondle 
an  impossible  hope  within  your  breast.  Rather  let  us 
think  on  what  may  be  done." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"  Why  not  escape  ?  A  few  thousand  fathoms  above 
our  heads  there  is  the  land  of  the  sun,  the  land  of 
life,  of  vigor,  where  each  man  fights  his  own  battles 
and  revels  in  the  strife.  There  the  individual  is  sov- 
ereign, and  the  State  his  servant,  not  his  master. 
Here  the  State  is  supreme,  and  the  individual,  living 
no  longer  for  himself,  loses  those  faculties  of  mind 
and  heart  which  have  raised  him  out  of  savagery. 
Let  us  plan  to  leave  these  people  to  their  fate  if  we 
may." 

The  doctor  shook  his  head. 


DOCTOR  MAKES  A  CONFESSION       89 

•  "What  you  propose,"  said  he,  "is  more  impossi- 
ble than  that  which  I  propose.  No  living  being  has 
ever  escaped  from  this  country  to  the  upper  regions. 
Long  before  you  could  reach  the  surface,  even  sup- 
posing you  escaped  the  krakens,  the  argonauts  and 
other  creatures  of  the  sea,  you  would  be  dead  from 
lack  of  air." 

"Possibly  you  are  right,"  I  repHed.  "But  then 
we  shall  study  the  matter,  and  not  give  up  hope  too 
soon.  I  came,  why  should  I  not  return?  But  mark 
you,"  I  added  after  a  pause,  "  I  must  find  that  beau- 
tiful atavar  — she  must  be  rescued,  do  you  under- 
stand? and  if  we  find  means  of  escape  she  must  go 
with  us." 

"You  are  talking  wildly.  It  is  impossible,"  re- 
turned the  doctor. 

"Well,  if  impossible,  then  be  it  so,  but  it  some- 
times does  one  good  to  discuss  the  impossible.  In 
the  meantime  while  I  am  here  I  shall  remember  the 
adage,  '  When  in  Rome  do  as  the  Romans  do.'  " 

The  doctor  sighed,  but  before  we  left  the  laboratory 
we  clasped  each  other  by  the  hand  in  token  of  the  new 
bond  of  friendship  between  us. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS 

That  day  the  doctor  and  I  began  a  series  of  in- 
spection tours,  which,  during  the  course  of  several 
weeks,  took  us  over  much  of  the  country  and  greatly 
increased  my  knowledge  of  the  people  and  their  cus- 
toms. I  had  one  ulterior  motive  in  these  daily  trips, 
and  that,  needless  to  say,  was  the  finding  of  the  in- 
stitution in  which  the  fair  atavar  was  immured.  The 
doctor  sympathized  with  this  aim,  and,  though  we 
rarely  spoke  of  it,  he  was  as  assiduous  as  myself  in 
seeking  out  the  prison-house.  We  were  under  the 
disadvantage  of  not  daring  to  make  inquiries  as  to 
the  object  of  our  search,  for,  had  we  done  so,  we  must 
have  aroused  the  suspicion  of  the  inspectors.  But  as 
it  was,  my  insatiate  thirst  for  knowledge  respecting 
the  institutions  we  came  across  was  looked  on  as 
a  subtle  tribute  to  the  civilization  of  the  times  and 
resulted  in  the  widest  latitude  being  accorded  me 
in  carrying  on  any  investigation  I  might  see  fit  to 
make.  Not  a  day  passed  in  which  we  did  not  in- 
spect at  least  half  a  dozen  of  the  State's  establish- 

90 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS      91 

ments;  but  travel  in  whatever  direction  we  pleased 
it  seemed  impossible  to  find  insane  hospital  No,  97. 
Every  evening  we  trudged  homeward  to  our  dormi- 
tory, disappointed,  only  to  take  up  the  hunt  with  re- 
newed hope  the  following  day. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  an  account  of  these 
many  trips.  As  I  write  this  I  am  impressed  with  the 
manifold  phases  of  life,  and  what  a  monumental  task 
it  would  be  for  any  one  to  describe  with  reasonable 
thoroughness  any  system  of  social  existence.  Did  I 
not  shrink  from  attempting  such  a  work,  the  limita- 
tions of  the  ordinary  book  would  still  force  me  to 
leave  much  unsaid.  The  student  will,  I  feel,  regard 
that  which  is  omitted  as  being  the  more  valuable, 
but  by  dwelling  on  those  things  which  impressed 
me  the  most  I  still  hope  to  satisfy  in  some  measure 
the  general  desire  for  knowledge  as  to  the  social 
conditions  in  Atlantis. 

On  one  of  our  trips  of  exploration,  it  is  immaterial 
which,  the  doctor  and  I  made  a  visit  to  the  Hall 
of  Curiosities.  I  shall  never  forget  my  first  inspec- 
tion of  this  remarkable  place,  and  my  narrative  would 
be  unpardonably  incomplete  were  I  to  omit  some  ac- 
count of  it.  In  fact,  the  visit  is  to  be  set  down 
as  one  of  the  most  important  incidents  of  my  stay  in 
Atlantis,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  know  of  no  more 


92  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

extraordinary  happening   in   my   whole   life,   or   one 
which  more  deeply  affected  my  destiny. 

The  Hall  was  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
dormitory,  and  in  order  to  reach  it  we  availed  our- 
selves of  the  rapid  transit  system  of  which  I  have 
spoken  in  connection  with  the  trip  to  the  Capitol. 
We  had  been  traveling  for  some  time  with  surpris- 
ing speed  when  I  happened  to  glance  upward  at  the 
empyrean  of  the  submerged  realm,  and  was  astonished 
to  see  that  the  nebulous  blur,  which  indicated  its 
existence  over  the  larger  part  of  the  country,  was 
being  resolved  into  separate  and  distinct  lines  of 
radiance.  Now  and  then  I  even  caught  a  penetrating 
glimpse  into  the  depth  of  the  tangled  mass  which 
composed  the  thatching  of  the  mighty  roof.  I  looked 
askance  at  the  doctor.  The  latter  smiled  at  my  per- 
turbation. 

"  There  is  no  reason  for  apprehension,"  said  he. 
"  The  dome  bends  closer  than  it  did  some  distance 
back.  I  have  neglected  to  tell  you  that  the  Hall  of 
Curiosities  is  not  a  building  but  a  series  of  chambers, 
partly  artificial  and  partly  natural,  in  the  wall  of 
archsean  rock  which  protects  Atlantis  on  the  side 
of  the  sea.  We  are  now  nearing  the  confines  of  the 
country,  and  you  will  notice  that  our  sky  and  earth 
gradually   approach   each   other   the   farther   we   go. 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS      93 

The  sea  cliff  is  some  five  hundred  feet  high  and  the 
dome  apparently  rests  upon  it." 

We  continued  to  speed  through  the  semi-dark- 
ness, when  suddenly  I  was  aware  of  numerous  crys- 
tal-like columns  of  fantastic  shapes  flying  past  us 
on  both  sides.  These  columns  reflected  in  dazzling 
hues  the  myriad  lights  which  marked  the  course  of 
our  journey,  and  in  a  short  time  their  number  so 
greatly  increased  as  to  remind  me  of  a  forest  in  fairy- 
land. 

"  The  stalactites,"  explained  the  doctor. 

The  car  stopped  and  we  alighted,  continuing  our 
journey  on  foot  along  a  trail  through  the  strange 
jungle,  wliich  seemed  to  grow  denser  with  every 
step.  The  weirdness  of  the  scene  almost  overwhelmed 
me.  I  puzzled  my  brain  to  discover  how  this  won- 
derland had  been  produced.  There  was  not  the  least 
indication  of  moisture,  and  the  only  theory  that  oc- 
curred to  me  which  seemed  at  all  plausible  was  that, 
in  some  distant  past,  molten  lava  had  dripped  from 
above  and  solidified,  forming  the  mighty  pendants, 
which  hung  threateningly  overhead,  and  the  columns 
and  grotesque  formations  of  glistening  mineral  which 
seemed  to  hem  us  in  on  all  sides. 

Reaching  the  great  sea-wall  at  last,  we  entered  a 
cave-like  opening  and  traversed  a  narrow  tunnel  that 


94  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

led  for  fully  three  hundred  yards  straight  into  the 
rock.  We  emerged  into  a  brilliantly-lighted  chamber 
with  lofty  ceiling  and  granite  walls  —  a  veritable 
Colosseum  in  size.  I  gazed  about  with  astonishment, 
for  I  had  considerably  underrated  the  museum  in  my 
preconceived  ideas  concerning  it. 

"  How  many  chambers  are  there  like  this  ? "  I 
asked. 

"  Six,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"  The  immensity  of  the  Hall  was  something  I  had 
not  looked  for,"  I  said  when  I  had  somewhat  recovered 
from  my  surprise.  "  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  relics 
of  antiquity  make  a  vast  collection." 

"  True,"  returned  my  friend.  "  You  can  spend 
several  months  in  this  place  without  seeing  every- 
thing that  I  know  would  interest  you.  Now,  this 
chamber  is  known  as  the  throne-room  of  Bulak,  being 
named  after  one  of  the  ancient  kings.  In  the  center 
you  will  notice  the  raised  dais  on  which  are  the  ancient 
insignia  of  royalty." 

We  approached  the  central  portion  of  this  remark- 
able subterranean  amphitheater  and  there,  as  the  doc- 
tor said,  was  a  platform  on  which  were  a  score 
or  more  of  ancient  thrones.  Canopies  of  gold  and 
purple  surmounted  them  and  their  seats  were  rich 
with  carving  and  inlaid  with  jewels. 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS      95 

I  looked  on  them  with  mingled  emotions.  Where 
once  the  mighty  sat,  there  now  lay  the  scepters  and 
sparkling  crowns,  coveted  no  more  and  looked  on 
with  only  passive  interest  in  the  enlightened  age  of 
democracy. 

"If  you  cared  to  moralize,  my  friend,"  continued 
my  preceptor,  "  you  would  have  a  most  excellent  sub- 
ject in  these  tokens  of  barbarism.  Men  have  com- 
mitted murder,  embroiled  society,  and  involved  whole 
nations  in  bloody  wars  to  possess  these  baubles." 

"  It  is  a  theme  on  which  one  might  talk  an  entire 
day,"  I  replied.  "  But  what  is  this  in  these  glass 
cases  ?  " 

"  The  case  by  which  you  are  standing,"  was  the 
reply,  "  contains  some  of  the  crown  jewels.  They  are 
choice  heirlooms  of  past  dynasties,  and  illustrate  forci- 
bly the  passion  for  finery  and  display  which  I  believe 
is  common  to  all  uncivilized  peoples." 

"  I  doubt,"  I  remarked,  "  if  the  crowned  heads  of 
Europe  can  boast  of  diadems  more  resplendent  than 
this  one."  I  pointed  to  an  exquisite  piece  of  royal 
headgear  of  conical  shape  incrusted  with  diamonds 
of  great  size  and  brilliancy. 

But  the  doctor  had  left  my  side  and  was  gazing  at 
an  assortment  of  spears  and  shields  which  filled  a 
number  of  large  cases  against  the  wall. 


96  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  See !  "  he  cried.  "  Here  is  the  great  armorial 
collection,  and  a  wonderful  collection  it  is  from  an 
historical  point  of  view.  Some  of  these  ancient 
weapons,  you  will  notice,  are  made  of  stone,  crudely 
fashioned,  indicating  a  low  stage  of  intellectual  de- 
velopment. Then  there  are  those  lances  of  later  date 
made  of  copper  and  iron.  Relics  all  of  an  inhuman 
past " 

But  I  ceased  to  listen.  In  my  absorption  in  the 
crown  jewels  I  gave  no  attention  either  to  the  ancient 
weapons  or  the  doctor's  homily  upon  them.  What 
were  javelins  and  catapults  compared  to  diadems  and 
rings,  golden  goblets  and  jeweled  breastplates?  The 
doctor  was  shocked  at  the  ecstasy  with  which  I  was 
regarding  the  display  of  regal  magnificence  before 
me. 

"  You  seem  to  be  greatly  interested  in  those  petty 
trinkets,"  he  remarked  somewhat  testily.  "  I  know 
they  are  beautiful  in  a  way,  but  I  am  sure  I  have 
seen  many  pebbles  and  shells  just  as  pleasing." 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  appreciate  diamonds,"  I  re- 
plied. 

"  No,  why  should  I  ?  "  he  returned.  "  They  are 
nothing  but  bits  of  clear  crystal  and  are  absolutely 
useless,  so  far  as  I  know." 

"Sic  transit  gloria  mundi!"  I  exclaimed. 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS     97 

"What  were  you  saying?"  queried  the  doctor 
sharply. 

"  Pardon  me,"  I  replied,  "  I  forgot  that  you  do 
not  know  the  dead  languages.  That  is  a  rather  hack- 
neyed exclamation,  meaning  that  thus  the  glory  of 
the  world  passes  away." 

"  Very  good !  "  returned  my  friend  ;  "  and  quite 
pertinent  to  this  place."  He  looked  about,  and,  with 
a  sweep  of  his  arm,  continued: 

"  Here  lie  in  truth  the  buried  glories  of  a  world 
that  has  gone.  Here  are  the  things  that  men  worked, 
fought  and  died  for  when  they  lived  for  themselves 
alone.  At  least  the  Democracy  is  to  be  commended  for 
eradicating  from  man's  nature  that  slavish  infatua- 
tion for  glittering  stones  and  shining  metals  which 
characterized  the  ancients  and  which,  if  I  am  cor- 
rect, still  characterizes  the  people  on  the  earth's  sur- 
face." 

"  You  amaze  me !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Do  you  mean 
to  tell  me  that  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  ancients 
is  stored  in  this  place  ?  " 

"  I  do.  The  use  of  money  ceased,  you  know,  with 
the  establishment  of  the  Democracy,  and  as  for  the 
wearing  of  jewelry,  it  was  interdicted  some  centuries 
ago.  It  was  conclusively  demonstrated  that  it  was 
practically  impossible  to  secure  equality  between  all 


98  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  subjects  of  the  State  in  the  matter  of  jewel  dis- 
tribution. Petty  bickerings  and  jealousies  constantly 
arose,  especially  among  the  women.  Do  what  the 
State  might,  some  individuals  were  ever  think- 
ing that  the  ornaments  worn  by  others  were 
prettier  than  their  own.  It  was  therefore  declared 
that  the  wearing  of  jewelry  was  a  barbarous  custom, 
and  all  personal  articles  of  adornment  of  whatever 
character  were  collected  and  deposited  in  the  Hall  of 
Curiosities.  They  are  here  to-day.  Thus  was  the 
last  cause  of  envy  and  jealousy  removed,  and  these 
passions  are  now  unknown  in  our  State." 

While  the  doctor  was  talking  I  began  to  hurry  from 
case  to  case,  finding  each  filled  with  precious  stones 
and  jeweled  ornaments  —  pendants  of  pearls  and  dia- 
monds, signet  rings,  necklaces  of  sparkling  beads, 
scintillating  stars  and  glittering  crescents,  crosses  of 
hammered  gold,  breastpins  of  elaborate  forms,  and, 
in  fact,  jewelry  of  all  kinds  resplendent  with  settings 
of  emeralds,  rubies,  amethysts  and  other  precious 
stones  to  me  unknown. 

The  sight  of  such  vast  wealth  made  me  reel.  My 
heart  sent  the  blood  pulsing  to  my  temples,  and  I 
would  have  fallen  had  I  not  grasped  a  pillar  for  sup- 
port. 

"  The  wealth  of  the  ancients !  "  I  repeated  to  my- 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS      99 

self.     The  full  significance  of  the  Hall  of  Curiosities 
flashed   into  my  mind.     I   had   frequently  noted  the 
total  absence  of  jewelry  among  the  Atlantides,  and  the 
lack  of  a  medium  of  exchange  was  ever  a  source  of 
wonder  to  me;  but  strange  though  it  seems  I  had  not 
previously  speculated  as  to  what  had  become  of  the 
money  and  jewels  of  the  departed  races.     The  sudden 
solution  of  the  mystery  almost  overpowered  me.     I 
stood  for  some  moments  endeavoring  to  comprehend 
the  magnitude  of  this  new-found  Golconda,  when  the 
thought  of  its  possible  bearing  on  my  own  fortunes  in- 
flamed my  mind. 

"If  it  were  only  mine,"  I  thought,  "what  could  I 
not  do  with  it!  It  would  make  me  mightier  than  all 
the  potentates  in  the  world."  Then  a  passionate 
frenzy  for  possession  seized  me. 
^  "It  is  mine,  it  is  mine!"  I  exclaimed;  "mine  by 
right  of  discovery  I    I  am  rich,  I  am  rich !  " 

So  fired  was  my  brain  that  I  was  oblivious  to 
all  surroundings.  The  wealth  was  within  my  grasp 
mme  for  the  mere  taking.  No  longer  was  I  a  mere 
vagabond  to  be  kicked  from  pillar  to  post.  The  world 
cnnged  and  fawned,  honors  were  heaped  on  me 
and  my  lightest  wish  was  law,.  The  trust  barons  and 
magnates  of  Wall  Street -I  was  greater  than  all  of 
them ! 


loo  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

There  is  no  telling  how  far  my  indiscretion  would 
have  carried  me,  had  not  the  castles  I  was  building 
been  rudely  shattered  by  a  voice  that  rang  in  my 
ear. 

"  Come !  "  it  said.  "  Have  you  lost  your  reason  ? 
Be  careful !  " 

Startled  I  turned  and  faced  the  doctor. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  he  continued  somewhat  grimly,  "  you 
forget  that  you  are  still  in  Atlantis.  Now  I  want 
you  to  look  at  this  stone  colossus.  Did  you  ever  see 
anything  so  grotesque  or  ugly  ?  " 

I  ran  my  eyes  unheedingly  over  the  savage  god. 
Though  I  dimly  appreciated  the  folly  of  my  demeanor 
and  had  recovered  some  measure  of  mental  calmness, 
yet  nevertheless  I  could  not  summon  any  interest  in 
anything  except  the  vast  array  of  neglected  wealth. 
Being  determined  to  inspect  it  fully,  I  grasped  the 
doctor  by  the  arm  and  almost  by  main  force  pulled 
him  away  from  the  colossi,  the  ivory  tusks,  the  primi- 
tive plows,  and  other  crude  objects  in  which  he  seem- 
ingly delighted.  In  this  wise  we  went  through  aisle 
after  aisle  of  crowded  cases  all  filled  with  treasure 
of  inestimable  value.  Falling  in  at  last  with  my  humor, 
the  doctor  raised  the  glass  covering  of  one  of  the  cases 
and  took  out  a  diamond  whose  size  dwarfed  all  the 
famous  gems  of  the  upper  world.     I  seized  it,  rubbed 


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The  sight  was  overpowering  mv  senses.  page  lOl 


102  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Here,"  said  my  guide,  "  is  the  entire  monetary 
circulation  of  ancient  days.  There  are  coins  here  of 
gold,  electrum,  silver,  iron,  copper  and  stone.  By 
studying  them  you  can,  in  a  way,  read  the  history 
of  the  ancients." 

I  gazed  open-mouthed  at  the  exhibit.  Leaning 
over  one  of  the  bins  I  permitted  myself  to  finger 
the  coins.  The  passion  for  acquisition  again  took 
strong  hold  on  me,  and,  plunging  my  arms  to  the 
elbows  in  the  golden  coins,  I  scooped  them  up  and 
let  them  fall  in  glittering  streams.  I  cooled  my  fever 
with  the  feel  of  the  precious  piles.  I  laughed  aloud 
in  the   very  glee  and   lust  of  greed. 

The  doctor  gripped  my  shoulders  and  held  me 
as  in  a  vise. 

"  Again  I  warn  you  —  the  inspectors  !  "  he  whis- 
pered in  my  ear. 

Instantly  I  realized  my  indiscretion  and  turned 
away. 

"  These  coins,"  said  I  aloud,  "  are  interesting 
relics.  They  much  resemble  old  pieces  of  money  I 
have  seen  on  earth.  I  could  not  decipher  the  inscrip- 
tions on  any  of  them,  but  the  heads,  which  are 
stamped  upon  some,  fairly  portray  the  countenance 
of  the  brutal  savage." 

Apparently   believing   that   I    was    only    interested 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS    103 

scientifically  in  the  numismatic  collection,  the  inspect- 
ors passed  on  without  a  word.  With  an  effort,  I 
mastered  my  excitement  and  began  to  look  on  the 
wealth  about  me  with  some  show  of  stoicism. 

The  doctor  called  my  attention  to  a  collection  of 
comparatively  modern  coins,  among  which  were  Eng- 
lish sovereigns,  some  American  eagles,  and  a  great 
quantity  of  Spanish  doubloons  and  pieces  of  eight. 
I  looked  inquiringly  at  the  doctor. 

"  These  coins,"  he  explained,  "  came  from  chests 
taken  from  the  sea.  They  were  probably  the  prop- 
erty of  your  friend,  Captain  Kidd,  of  whom  we  have 
spoken." 

At  last  I  had  discovered  the  buried  hoards  of  the 
pirates ! 

"  What  else  was  found  in  these  chests  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  believe  a  variety  of  things,"  was  the  answer. 
"  Come  into  the  next  room." 

Following  him  I  came  to  a  place  in  which  a  num- 
ber of  skeletons  of  marine  monsters  were  the  most 
prominent  objects. 

"  There  must  be  some  frightful  beasts  in  the  sea," 
I  said  as  I  gazed  with  a  shudder  about  me. 

"  There  are,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

Going  to  a  case  the  doctor  pointed  out  some  of 
the  property  of  the  pirates.     Dirks  and  knives  and 


I04  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

black  flags  were  carefully  laid  out  for  exhibition. 
Several  blunderbusses  and  revolvers  attracted  my  no- 
tice. The  doctor  asked  me  to  explain  their  use.  I 
found  that  he  was  entirely  ignorant  of  gunpowder,  and 
I  promised  him  I  would  some  day  give  an  exhibition 
of  the  use  of  firearms,  if  opportunity  arose  and  I 
could  find  the  substance  to  make  the  powder. 

What  most  interested  me  in  this  exhibition,  however, 
was  a  number  of  small  books,  which  upon  examina- 
tion proved  to  be  New  Testaments.  They  bore  the 
marks  of  frequent  fingering,  and  many  of  the  pages 
were  turned  down.  On  the  fly-leaf  of  one  I  could 
barely  decipher  the  words :  "  From  your  loving 
mother."  There  were  also  several  crucifixes  and  a 
number  of  crosses  in  the  collection,  showing  that  in 
some  instances,  at  least,  piety  and  piracy  went  hand  in 
hand.  Or  was  it  that  these  men,  despite  their  evil 
lives,  still  clung  with  desperate  hope  to  these  emblems 
of  righteousness  and  salvation? 

Maps  of  islands,  with  curious  markings  upon  them, 
indicating  perhaps  the  places  of  buried  treasure; 
a  few  illegible  letters,  and  a  book  or  two  full  of 
writing,  detailing  the  capture  of  vessels,  the  number 
of  people  who  walked  the  plank  and  similar  informa- 
tion of  an  edifying  character,  were  things  in  the  col- 
lection that  I  pored  over  with  interest. 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS    105 

"  Now,  since  you  seem  to  be  ready  to  think  of 
something  else  besides  diamonds  and  gold,"  began 
the  doctor,  interrupting  my  reflections,  "  I  want  to 
show  you  some  samples  of  credit  cards  once  used  by 
the  Democracy." 

I  gave  a  cursory  glance  at  the  cards  which  the  doc- 
tor held  for  my  scrutiny,  and  saw  that  they  resembled 
the  ordinary  commutation  tickets  used  in  American 
restaurants. 

"  These  cards,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  were  issued 
in  the  early  days.  Each  individual  received  annually 
an  equal  number  of  them,  good  for  a  certain  amount 
of  credit  at  the  store-houses  then  conducted  by  the 
IState.  Theoretically,  the  system  seemed  excellent, 
but  in  practice  it  was  found  to  be  quite  unsatisfactory. 
Had  the  early  socialists  given  the  subject  deeper  study 
they  would  have  seen,  even  before  adopting  it,  that 
the  system  would  only  partly  remedy  the  so-called 
evils  growing  out  of  individual  initiative.  It  effectu- 
ally, it  is  true,  checked  unequal  production  by  differ- 
ent individuals,  for  this  must  be  the  necessary  result 
of  equal  compensation.  But  it  did  not  reach  those 
evils  growing  from  untrammeled  individual  initiative 
in  the  matter  of  personal  expenditures.  Having  a 
whole  year's  income  at  their  immediate  disposal,  many 
were  not  satisfied  until  they  had  wasted  it  in  fast  liv- 


io6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ing,  and  each  month  added  to  the  thousands  who 
had  exhausted  their  credit  for  the  current  year.  But 
those  whose  constitutions  demanded  only  a  minimum 
of  nutriment,  and  who  were  not  otherwise  possessed 
of  extravagant  tastes,  found  they  could  live  within  the 
credit  assigned  them  and  have  a  remainder.  The  in- 
evitable outcome  was  the  building  of  a  most  despicable 
form  of  tyranny,  in  which  those  who  possessed  fore- 
sight and  frugal  habits  lorded  it  over  their  less  for- 
tunate brothers.  This  they  did  by  exacting  such 
terms  in  favors  and  services  as  they  pleased,  in  ex- 
change for  those  commodities  secured  on  their  cards 
which  they  did  not  need  for  themselves.  As  the  in- 
dividual whose  credit  was  exhausted  could  not  evade 
service  for  the  State,  he  was  compelled  to  devote  his 
time  for  leisure  in  slaving  for  the  new  species  of 
tyrants.  Despite  the  laws,  the  latter  in  time  acquired 
a  practical  immunity  from  work  of  any  kind,  and 
arrogated  to  themselves  all  the  honors  of  government. 
But  the  agitation  for  a  more  thorough  democracy 
continued  unabated  and  at  last  triumphed.  The  card 
system  was  abolished,  public  kitchens  and  dining-halls 
were  established,  and  individual  initiative  in  personal 
expenditure  was  completely  done  away.  The  prin- 
ciple that  no  individual  should  enjoy  a  better  living 
than   another,  no  matter  how  much  he  produced  or 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS    107 

saved,  was  in  this  wise  given  a  rigid  application.  A 
considerable  saving  in  labor  was  incidentally  accom- 
plished by  stopping  the  printing  of  the  cards  and 
abolishing  the  system  of  espionage  necessary  to  pre- 
vent counterfeiting.  I  have  forgotten  just  what  this 
saving  amounted  to,  but  you  will  find  by  reading  the 
records  that  there  was  a  general  rejoicing  because  a 
material  reduction  in  the  amount  of  daily  labor  was 
effected  by  the  reform." 

"  Was  the  reduction  in  daily  labor  permanent  ?  "  I 
asked  aimlessly. 

"  No,"  the  doctor  replied,  "  I  can  not  say  it  was. 
Really,  it  is  remarkable  as  well  as  sad  how,  in  the 
sequel,  the  benefits  of  government  regulation  vanish 
into  nothingness.  But  then  no  matter  about  that.  I 
am  now  speaking  from  the  socialistic  point  of  view 
and  want  to  add  that  the  issuing  of  the  cards  was 
another  illustration  of  the  truth  that  avarice  can  be 
eradicated  from  the  human  heart  only  by  doing  away 
with  everything  in  which  the  element  of  personal  own- 
ership enters,  even  in  the  slightest  degree.  No  indi- 
vidual in  Atlantis  can  now  point  to  a  single  object 
and  say  that  it  belongs  to  himself  alone.  Even  his 
clothes  are  the  property  of  the  State,  and  as  one  gar- 
ment differs  in  no  wise  from  another,  no  opportunity 
is  given  for  a  display  of  personal  striving  to  outshine 


io8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

one  another.  All  these  gewgaws  over  which  you 
have  been  gloating  are  the  property  of  the  State,  and, 
while  no  one  owns  them  in  particular,  no  one  can 
wear  them." 

"  Indeed,  this  is  a  virtuous  realm,"  I  replied  as  I 
ran  my  hands  down  into  a  heap  of  diamonds  which 
stood  near  the  pirates'  collection.  "  Selfishness  has 
been  absolutely  crushed  for  the  want  of  something  to 
feed  upon.     Now,  isn't  that  stone  a  beauty  ?  " 

"  Come  away  and  leave  that  dirt  alone,"  urged  my 
friend.  "  I  wish  to  show  you  something  in  the  next 
room  which  I  know  you  will  be  interested  in." 

Here  I  found  prows  of  ships  with  figureheads,  kegs 
filled  with  nails,  anchors  and  other  debris  of  heavy 
weight,  which  had  come  down  from  the  derelicts  of 
the  sea.  Idols  of  fantastic  shape,  sculptured  marble, 
ancient  and  curious  objects  made  of  copper  and  stone 
occupied  much  space.  The  doctor  drew  me  before  a 
painting  of  a  ship  in  a  storm  at  sea. 

"  That  picture,"  he  said,  "  is  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting objects  in  the  entire  Hall  to  me.  I  have  stood 
here  by  the  hour  and  gazed  at  it.  It  was  found  in  a 
sea  chest.  Does  the  surface  of  the  sea  actually  have 
that  appearance  ?  " 

I  explained  that  it  did  during  a  storm.  Then  I 
tried  to  tell  him  as  best  I  could  of  the  varying  moods 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS    109 

of  the  sea,  of  the  brightness  of  the  sun  and  the  blue 
of  unclouded  skies.  He  listened  as  a  child  would  to 
a  fairy  tale.  For  a  long  time  he  stood  absorbed  in 
the  picture,  and,  in  truth,  the  fury  of  the  elements 
which  it  portrayed  wove  a  spell  on  us  both,  lifting 
our  minds  above  sordid  thoughts  and  filling  us  with 
awe  of  the  eternal  and  majestic  forces  of  the  universe. 
The  doctor  turned  from  the  painting  with  a  sigh. 

"  There  is  still  another  picture  I  wish  you  to  see," 
he  said. 

It  was  the  painting  of  a  beautiful  girl,  with  bright 
eyes  and  smiling  face.  She  stood  challenging  one's 
admiration,  in  full  consciousness  of  her  power  of 
conquest. 

"  There,"  said  the  doctor,  "  is  something  worth  far 
more  than  all  your  diamonds.  I  gaze  on  this  pic- 
ture every  chance  I  have  —  I  can  hardly  realize  there 
are  any  creatures  in  the  world  so  lovely." 

"  But  there  are !  "  I  replied  with  enthusiasm.  "  The 
world  is  full  of  them ;  they  are  the  goddesses  of  the 
earth  above!  Look  at  her!  Note  the  beauty  of  her 
adornment  —  the  harmony  of  color  and  the  sweeping 
curves  of  her  dress,  the  rose  in  her  hair,  the  brooch  at 
her  throat !  Then  look  at  her  face  —  do  you  see  any 
stamp  of  care  or  despair  or  weariness  there?  No, 
and    why?     It    is    because    she    is    adorable    and    is 


no  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

adored !  Upon  her  is  lavished  a  father's  care,  a 
mother's  love,  and  now  she  awaits  some  sweetheart  to 
take  her  and  cherish  her  for  life.  Compare  her  to 
your  women  of  Atlantis.  What  have  you  done  with 
them?  You  have  robbed  them,  taken  from  them 
everything  that  makes  life  worth  the  living  and  given 
them  a  cheerless,  hopeless  and  barren  existence.  How 
could  you  expect  true  womanhood  to  bud  and  flower 
under  your  infernal  laws  ?  " 

I  paused  almost  breathless  and  red-hot  with  indig- 
nation. The  doctor  looked  about,  but  no  one  had 
overheard. 

*'  You  belong  to  a  race  of  idiots,  Doctor,"  I  ex- 
claimed, "  and  I  shall  lose  no  time  in  getting  away 
from  here  with  the  first  opportunity." 

The  doctor  now  piloted  me  through  the  remaining 
rooms  of  this  sepulcher  of  vanities.  In  one  there  was 
a  large  collection  of  books,  among  which  I  found 
copies  of  Shakespeare's  and  Cervantes'  masterpieces. 
There  were  also  various  nautical  books,  some  sea 
charts  and  a  few  scientific  works.  The  records  of  an- 
cient Atlantis,  written  on  papyrus,  were  likewise  here. 
We  did  not  stop  to  examine  this  queer  library,  leaving 
it  for  future  visits.  In  the  last  room  I  sat  down  ex- 
hausted and  bewildered  by  all  I  had  seen. 

"  This  is  certainly  the  most  interesting  place  in  all 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS    in 

Atlantis,"  I  remarked.  "  I  should  think  it  would  be 
crowded,  but  I  notice  very  few  people  here." 

"  It  is  the  place  of  greatest  interest  to  me,"  replied 
the  doctor,  "  but  I  do  not  come  often  because  it  might 
be  seen  that  I  liked  it  too  well.  But  to  the  average 
citizen  of  the  Democracy  it  seems  to  possess  no  at- 
traction. Very  few  ever  seek  to  come  here,  and  the 
mass  of  the  people  are  wholly  indifferent  about  it." 

"Don't  they  show  any  interest  in  anything?" 

"Rarely  —  except  on  certain  occasions." 

"  On  what  occasions,  may  I  ask  ?  " 

The  doctor  hesitated  and  then  said  in  a  tone  that 
had  a  note  of  bitterness  in  it:  "  You  will  learn  in  due 
time. 

"  This  room  in  which  you  are  now  sitting,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  is  the  one  nearest  to  the  ocean.  There  are  a 
number  of  places  in  which  egress  to  the  sea  is  reached 
and  this  is  one  of  them.  Yonder  door,"  he  said,  point- 
ing to  a  great  sheet  of  copper  which  appeared  to  be 
built  in  the  wall,  "  is  the  entrance  to  a  large  air-tight 
chamber.  The  door  is  very  massive  and  is  operated 
by  radium  force,  sliding  smoothly  on  bearings  into  the 
wall.  All  that  you  need  to  do  to  open  it  is  to  press  a 
button.  Supposing  that  you  have  prepared  yourself 
for  the  sea  and  gone  into  the  chamber,  you  press 
another  button  and  the  door  closes.    Then,  by  opening 


112  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  valves  of  several  large  pipes,  you  let  in  the  water 
from  the  ocean  until  the  chamber  is  filled.  Now,  by 
pressing-  a  button,  another  sliding  door  is  opened  and 
you  step  out  into  the  sea.  When  you  wish  to  return 
you  enter  the  chamber,  cause  the  sea  door  to  close, 
and  open  the  valves  of  certain  pipes  through  which  the 
water  is  pumped  out  and  conveyed  to  a  distilling  plant. 
There  the  salt  is  taken  from  it  and  it  becomes  a  part 
of  the  water  supply  of  Atlantis." 

"  A  very  simple  system,"  I  observed.  "  It  reminds 
me  of  the  locks  used  in  our  canals.  I  can  see  that  it 
would  be  impossible,  perhaps,  to  pump  the  water  back 
into  the  sea  —  the  pressure  of  the  ocean  at  this  depth 
must  be  many  tons  to  the  square  inch," 

"  Of  course,"  he  replied,  "  it  is  hardly  necessary  for 
me  to  add  that  this  system  comes  down  to  us  from  an- 
tiquity, as  does  also  the  reduction  plant  for  the  sew- 
age, and  the  great  laboratories  for  maintaining  the 
purity  of  the  air." 

"  Suppose,"  said  I,  "  the  door  of  that  sea-lock  were 
opened  when  the  sea  was  pressing  against  it,  what 
would  happen  ?  " 

"  It  can  not  then  be  opened.  Neither  it  nor  the 
outer  sliding  door  will  open  except  when  the  pressure 
is  equal  on  both  sides.  I  may  add  that,  in  order  to 
guard  against  accidents  as  well  as  to  see  that  none  goes 


THE  WEALTH  OF  THE  ANCIENTS    113 

into  the  sea  who  has  not  the  proper  credentials,  there 
are  inspectors  constantly  on  duty  in  the  hall.'* 

"  Then  our  prison  house  is  well  bolted  and  barred, 
after  all,"  I  exclaimed  with  some  disgust. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking,  my  dear  Doctor,  that  this  store- 
house is  convenient  to  the  sea.  We  have  now  only  to 
find  the  means  for  reaching  the  surface,  and  when  we 
succeed  in  this  we  shall,  with  your  kind  permission, 
leave  this  land  of  equality,  full-burdened  with  the 
despised  wealth  of  the  ancients ! " 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  WHEELS  OF  THE  STATE  BEGIN  TO  REVOLVE 

The  day  following  my  first  visit  to  the  Hall  of 
Curiosities  an  inspector  of  the  Department  of  Mis- 
cellaneous Affairs  of  State  made  me  a  ceremonious 
call.  The  doctor  and  I  were  engaged  in  talk  in  a 
small  room  adjoining  the  laboratory,  which  room  had 
become  our  favorite  retreat,  when  the  door  was  thrown 
open  without  warning  and  there  entered  an  individual 
whose  countenance  was  even  more  sallow  and  sphinx- 
like than  the  average  in  Atlantis.  Without  even  the 
hint  of  a  smile  this  specimen  of  facial  petrifaction 
made  me  a  formal  bow  and  launched  forth  on  his  mes- 
sage, which  he  delivered  in  a  monotone  so  remarkable 
that  it  was  impossible  to  pick  out  a  single  syllable 
that  received  more  force  than  another. 

"  Sir  stranger,"  said  he,  "  the  department  to  which 
I  belong  considers  those  unusual  matters  of  State  that 
do  not  fall  correctly  within  the  province  of  other  de- 
partments. Among  the  abstruse  problems  with  which 
we  have  been  engaged  for  some  weeks  is  that  of  de- 
termining whether  you  should  be  admitted  into  citizen- 

114 


THE  WHEELS  OF  STATE  115 

ship  in  the  Social  Democracy.  It  is,  perhaps,  known 
to  you  that  all  official  acts  in  this  land  are  performed 
in  line  with  the  letter  of  the  statutes,  and  it  is  one  of 
the  evidences  of  our  advanced  stage  of  civilization 
that  very  little  is  left  to  chance  or  to  the  uncertain 
judgment  of  the  human  mind.  But  in  your  case  we 
found  little  law  that  was  applicable,  and  though,  after 
protracted  search,  several  precedents  were  discovered 
in  the  records  of  two  hundred  years  ago,  yet  these 
precedents  were  poor  guide-posts  at  best.  In  order 
that  we  may  not  be  embarrassed  in  like  manner  in  the 
future  we  have  appealed  to  the  popular  assembly  to 
devise  a  code  to  govern  cases  such  as  yours ;  but  as  it 
will  take  considerable  time  before  this  code  can  be 
promulgated,  we  have  been  compelled  to  reach  a  con- 
clusion in  this  instance,  and  we  leave  it  to  the  future 
to  justify  the  wisdom  of  our  momentous  decision.  It 
is  proper  for  me  to  state  that  when  you  first  arrived 
among  us  we  caused  a  search  of  your  apparel  in  the 
hope  of  finding  credentials  showing  whence  you  came, 
but  nothing  of  the  kind  was  secured.  We  did  find 
on  you,  however,  an  interesting  document  on  The 
Iniquities  of  the  Capitalistic  Regime,  which  was  a 
strong  argument  for  favorable  consideration  in  your 
behalf.  Since  then  you  have  been  closely  watched, 
and  all  the  reports  of  your  conduct  appear  to  indicate 


ii6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

that  you  are  thoroughly  in  accord  with  our  institu- 
tions. These  reasons  for  granting  you  citizenship 
may  not  be  conclusive,  but  there  seems  to  be  an  entire 
absence  of  data  of  an  unfavorable  character,  and  we 
therefore  have  declared  that  you  are  entitled  to  full 
citizenship  and  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  benefits  of 
equality  under  which  we  live." 

With  this  he  handed  me  a  card  which  read  as  fol- 
lows : 


DEPARTMENT     OF     MISCELLANEOUS     AF- 
FAIRS OF  STATE 


THIS    IS    TO    CERTIFY    THAT    THE    HOLDER    HAS    BEEN    DE- 
CLARED  A    CITIZEN    OF  THE   DEMOCRACY 


I  took  the  card  and  thanked  him  with  great 
gravity.  "  I  wish  to  say,"  I  added,  "  that  I  feel  hon- 
ored with  the  consideration  shown  me  and  that  I 
deeply  appreciate  this  mark  of  confidence  in  my 
loyalty  to  the  Democracy." 

Wlien  the  ambassador  of  the  Department  of  Mis- 
cellaneous AflFairs  of  State  had  taken  his  departure  the 
doctor  turned  to  me  with  a  sigh. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  said,  "  that  this  action  presages  a 
change  in  our  relations,  which  I  much  dread ;  but  then 


THE  WHEELS  OF  STATE  117 

we  should  be  thankful  that  you  have  passed  one  great 
point  of  danger,  for  had  they  decided  otherwise  you 
might  have  become  food  for  the  kraken." 

It  seemed,  however,  that  we  had  not  received  our 
only  caller  for  that  day,  for  we  had  hardly  resumed 
our  conversation  when  there  walked  into  the  room  two 
men  who  proved  to  be  inspectors  of  the  Department 
of  Vital  Statistics.  One  of  them  carried  a  note-book 
and  pencil  and  the  other  was  armed  with  a  tape-line 
and  several  measuring  sticks.  I  was  required  to  re- 
move part  of  my  clothing,  and  without  useless  cere- 
mony these  men  began  to  take  measurements.  Very 
little  was  said  during  the  procedure  except  by  the  in- 
dividual who  did  the  measuring,  and  he  confined  his 
remarks  strictly  to  the  business  in  hand. 

"  Length  of  head,"  said  he,  as  he  made  the  required 
measurement,  "  five  karets.     He  belongs  to  Class  A." 
"Five  karets,  Class  A,"  repeated  the  other  as  he 
jotted  down  something  in  his  book. 

"  Width  of  head,"  continued  the  manipulator  of  the 
measuring  sticks,  "one  obit  and  one  karet.  Sub- 
class D." 

"It  is  written,"  replied  the  other. 
In  this  wise  the  pair  of  matter-of-fact  gentlemen  con- 
tinued to  place  me  on  record.   My  right  ear,  the  middle 
finger  of  my  left  hand,  the  little  finger  of  my  right, 


Ii8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

my  right  foot,  my  right  forearm  and  my  height,  stand- 
ing and  sitting,  were  all  duly  set  down  in  the  book. 
When  they  came  to  taking  my  girth  I  thought  I 
noted  an  unusual  appearance  of  interest  on  the  part  of 
both.  The  man  with  the  tape  measured  it  several 
times  before  he  announced  the  result,  but  even  then  he 
with  the  book  declined  to  accept  the  figure  given  until 
he  had  himself  verified  it.  I  inferred  that  they  con- 
sidered my  girth  quite  unusual,  though  I  must  confess 
I  had  never  thought  it  so  myself. 

Having  completed  their  measurements  the  men  had 
the  audacity  to  stand  off  a  few  paces  and  size  me  up 
critically,  after  the  fashion  of  prospective  buyers 
studying  a  horse  Lo  discover  blemishes. 

"  I  should  say  that  he  is  a  brunette  of  the  third  de- 
gree," said  one  of  them. 

"  Yes,  that  is  about  right,"  replied  the  other  judi- 
cially. 

"  His  eyes  are  dark  brown,  he  has  an  ugly  nose, 
his  chin  is  ferocious  and  his  general  cast  of  counte- 
nance is  unprepossessing.  I  do  not  think  he  is  en- 
titled to  more  than  ten  per  cent,  for  looks." 

"  No,  he  is  not  a  beauty,  that  is  sure,"  the  other 
agreed,  "  I  think  that  ten  per  cent,  is  rather  liberal, 
but  then  we  will  let  it  go  at  that." 

I  was  beginning  to  feel  nettled,  but  before  I  could 


THE  WHEELS  OF  STATE  119 

shape  a  fitting  rebuke  for  their  conduct  they  turned  on 
their  heels  and  with  a  "  We  are  through  "  left  the 
room. 

I  gazed  at  the  doctor  and  saw  signs  of  suppressed 
mirth. 

"  Are  those  fellows  crazy,"  I  cried,  "  or  were  they 
making  sport  of  me? 

"  Neither,"  the  doctor  replied,  trying  to  speak  nat- 
urally. "  They  were  merely  obtaining  data  for  the 
records  of  the  Democracy,  as  is  their  duty.  They 
meant  no  offense."  The  doctor  paused,  then  contin- 
ued: 

"  I  will  explain.  You  must  know  that  a  complete 
record  of  every  individual  in  this  country  is  kept  on 
the  books  of  the  Department  of  Vital  Statistics.  You 
will  receive  a  number  now,  and  these  measurements 
and  general  remarks  as  to  your  looks  will  be  placed 
on  a  card,  together  with  your  number,  and  filed  away. 
The  Department  has  a  system  for  the  classification  of 
its  cards  which  would  certainly  interest  you.  I  take 
it  from  what  I  heard  that  your  classification  will  be 
ADGCQRBSTXZ.  I  may  have  forgotten  one 
or  two  subdivisions,  but  I  am  approximately  correct. 
For  purposes  of  abbreviation  you  will  be  generally 
known  as  being  in  the  A  D  G  class." 

"  Your    explanation   needs    explaining,"    I    replied 


120  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

irritably.  "  Why  don't  you  string  the  whole  alphabet 
together  and  be  done  with  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  this  way,"  the  doctor  went  on  imperturbably. 
"  All  of  the  citizens  of  this  country  are  divided  into 
two  great  classes  —  the  long-headed  class  and  the 
short-headed  class.  As  your  head  is  considerably 
longer  than  six  and  one-half  inches,  the  average 
among  us,  you  belong  to  class  A,  or  the  long-headed 
class.  Class  B  is  the  short-headed  class.  Now  each 
of  these  main  classes  is  subdivided  into  narrow-  and 
widc'headed  classes.  You  are  placed  in  subclass  D 
because  you  have  a  wide  head.  These  subclasses  are 
then  divided  into  two  divisions,  according  to  the  length 
of  the  middle  finger  on  the  left  hand.  I  could  go  on 
showing  you  the  various  subdivisions  into  which  the 
measurements  just  taken  have  placed  you,  but  I 
believe  you  see  the  principle  used  in  the  classification, 
and  that  it  would  be  very  easy  to  pick  out  your  identi- 
fication card  in  the  public  archives,  even  if  you  lost 
your  card,  for  all  it  would  be  necessary  to  do  would  be 
to  retake  your  measurements.  As  it  is  impossible  for 
any  one  to  change  the  length  of  his  head  or  add  to  his 
stature,  you  can  readily  see  that  no  citizen  can  hope  to 
escape  the  record  kept  of  him  by  the  government." 

When  I  grasped  the  system  employed  for  keeping 
tab  on  the   citizens  of  the  Democracy  I   was  filled 


THE  WHEELS  OF  STATE  121 

with  admiration  for  its  simplicity.  Then  the  thought 
came  that  there  was  something  famiUar  about  it,  and 
suddenly  it  dawned  on  me. 

"  Why,  Doctor,"  I  exclaimed.  "  there  is  nothing 
new  about  your  system !  They  use  the  same  thing  on 
the  surface  of  the  earth  in  order  to  keep  track  of 
convicts  and  criminals.  Once  more  I  find  additional 
resemblance  between  your  Democracy  and  the  govern- 
ment of  a  prison." 

After  a  pause,  the  doctor  not  replying,  it  occurred 
to  me  to  ask  him  how  it  was  that,  in  a  land  of  equality, 
it  was  recognized  that  some  people  had  longer  heads 
than  others. 

"  You  now  touch/'  said  he,  "  on  one  of  the  great 
unsolved  problems  of  the  Democracy.  Many  efforts 
have  been  made  to  correct  the  too  evident  dissimilar- 
ity between  individuals  in  this  and  other  respects, 
but  not  with  much  success.  For  example,  in  order  to 
produce  greater  uniformity  in  the  length  of  the  head, 
the  plan  has  been  tried  of  using  pressure  on  the 
heads  of  the  children,  but  the  results  have  been 
sadly  disappointing.  It  seems  that  the  human  race 
has  for  many  ages  been  without  the  salutary  checks 
of  a  beneficent  system  of  laws,  and  can  now  be  com- 
pared to  a  rank  growth  of  weeds  of  all  shapes  and 
sizes.     Recognizing  the  hopelessness  of  immediately 


122  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

eradicating  inequalities  inherited  from  thousands  of 
years  back,  modern  thought  has  reached  the  conclusion 
that  these  inequalities  can  be  overcome  only  by  pa- 
tiently following  out  certain  policies  through  several 
generations.  One  of  these  policies  is  the  strict  en- 
forcement of  the  rule  that  unlikes  and  not  likes  should 
be  married.  For  example,  if  it  is  decided  that  you 
should  marry,  the  State  will  choose  as  your  mate  the 
woman  among  those  available  for  marriage  who  least 
resembles  you." 

"  That  would  be  very  kind  of  the  State,'*  I  interpo- 
lated. 

"  Yes,  perhaps,"  the  doctor  replied,  "  and  if  you 
will  permit  me  to  describe  your  future  bride  I  should 
say,  judging  from  your  record,  that  she  will  have 
a  very  small  head,  a  very  slender  waist,  will  be  con- 
siderably under  stature,  a  pronounced  blonde,  and 
beautiful, —  according  to  the  standards  of  beauty  used 
by  the  inspectors."     Here  the  doctor  smiled. 

"  The  standards  of  beauty  as  used  by  the  inspect- 
ors ?  "  I  echoed.  "  Heavens !  Why,  Doctor,  without 
being  boastful,  I  was  regarded  on  earth  as  being  quite 
handsome  —  at  least,  I  think  I  can  truthfully  say  that 
I  was  not  looked  upon  as  ugly.  Gods!  If  those 
inspectors  choose  me  a  wife  she  will  be  a  hideous 
dwarf!     But  —  the  thing  is  not  worth  considering." 


THE  WHEELS  OF  STATE  123 

"  Not  worth  considering !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor. 
"  I  should  think  it  is  decidedly  worth  considering. 
No  man  can  hope  to  escape  marriage  in  this  country, 
and  no  man  can  do  his  own  selecting.  You  are  such 
an  unusual  specimen  of  a  man  that  there  may  be  some 
serious  argument  as  to  whether  you  shall  be  permitted 
to  marry.  It  may  be  considered  unwise  to  pollute 
the  pure  strain  of  the  nation's  blood,  you  know.  But 
then  law  is  law,  and  my  guess  is  that  it  will  be  finally 
concluded  that,  being  admitted  into  citizenship,  you 
must  marry." 

"  Are  you  serious  ?  They  will  marry  me  off  without 
consulting  me  ?  " 

"  I  mean  all  I  say,"  continued  the  doctor.  "  You 
will  be  waited  on  by  an  inspector  in  due  time,  and  he 
will  inform  you  when  the  ceremony  will  take  place, 
and  you  will  have  to  attend  as  the  groom." 

Then,  noting  the  look  on  my  face,  he  hastily  added : 

"  But  it  will  be  only  for  three  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  either  you  or  your  wife  may  demand  that  the 
bonds  of  wedlock  be  dissolved,  but  I  warn  you 
that,  in  case  they  are  dissolved,  you  will  again  be 
subject  to  marriage  unless,  as  in  my  case,  you  commit 
some  crime,  and  as  a  punishment  it  is  decreed  you 
shall  not  be  permitted  to  marry  again." 

"  Three  years  ?       What  an  arrangement !  "  I  ex- 


124  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

claimed.  "  But,  Doctor,  I  shall  draw  the  line  on  mar- 
riage,—  you  may  depend  on  that.  Do  you  suppose  I 
would  submit  to  three  years  of  perdition?  No,  sir, 
not  while  I  have  my  wits  about  me  or  a  drop  of  blood 
in   my   veins  !  " 

I  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the  room. 

"  Your  countrymen,"  I  went  on,  "  are  a  pack  of 
driveling  dolts  !  They  are  contemptible  cowards !  To 
think  that  any  race  of  people  should  become  so  inanely 
submissive,  so  devoid  of  manliness,  so  spineless,  that 
they  even  allow  the  State  to  do  their  love-making 
for  them !  Really,  I  should  consider  it  impossible  for 
men  to  sink  to  such  degradation,  were  it  not  for  the 
evidence  of  my  own  eyes.  I  truly  have  more  regard 
for  the  lowest  animals  in  the  brute  creation  than  I 
have  for  these  counterfeit  imitations  of  men  about  me. 
Let  them  marry  me  off?  I'll  fight  your  whole  damn- 
able Democracy  first ! " 


CHAPTER  XIII 

I   FALL  A   VICTIM    TO   THE    LETHE    WEED 

Thus  far  I  have  neglected  to  give  any  information 
as  to  the  principal  meal  in  Atlantis,  and  some  of  my 
readers  must  certainly  be  curious  respecting  it.  Per- 
haps their  sympathies  may  have  been  aroused  for  the 
people  because  of  that  diet  of  gruel  which  constituted 
their  morning  repast,  and  it  would  not  be  surprising 
if,  in  their  generous  hearts,  they  hope  that  the  dinner 
was  more  pretentious.  I  am  happy  to  say  it  was. 
Here  is  the  bill  of  fare  on  the  day  I  was  made  a  citizen 
of  the  Democracy: 

Shredded  Seaweed  Biscuit 

Salad  of  Chopped  Sea-horse 

Choice  Cuts  of  Sea-dog 

Lh'anas  (Sea-greens) 

Boikas   (Atlantian  Potatoes) 

Mana   (Bread) 
Dopum   (Atlantian  Coffee) 

Lest  the  apparent  lavishness  of  this  menu  should 
give  rise  to  erroneous  conclusions,  I  make  haste  to 
state  that  an  old  saying  in  Atlantis  had  it  that  man 

125 


126  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

can  not  live  on  gruel  alone.  The  origin  of  this  say- 
ing had  an  intimate  connection  with  some  distressing 
experiences  through  which  the  nation  had  gone  in  the 
past.  To  tell  the  plain  truth,  the  feasting  of  the  latter 
part  of  the  day  was  but  the  necessary  complement  of 
the  frugality  practised  in  the  morning ;  and  it  is  not  to 
be  taken  as  evidence  that  too  much  food  was  available 
at  times  in  Atlantis.  I  wish  also  to  explain  that  the 
dinner  was  served  in  courses,  each  course  consisting 
of  a  sample  of  food,  carefully  measured  out  and 
weighed,  so  that  no  person  had  the  fraction  of  an 
ounce  more  than  another.  Thus  were  the  ends  of 
national  economy  and  equality  carefully  and  rigidly 
subserved. 

Some  comment  may  be  occasioned  by  reason  of  the 
menu  savoring  so  largely  of  the  sea,  but  the  geograph- 
ical location  of  Atlantis,  I  think,  furnishes  ample 
explanation.  Any  nation  situated  as  it  was  must 
necessarily  resort  to  the  valleys  of  the  deep  for  its 
prey.  The  sea  has  ever  been  known  as  a  good  pro- 
vider, and  it  is  not  strange  that  many  sharks,  krakens, 
sword-fish,  sea-cows,  turtles,  dolphins  and  many  other 
curious  forms  of  life  were  found  in  abundance  within 
reasonable  distance  of  the  submerged  island.  This 
variety  in  the  supply  of  edible  meats  made  it  possible 
now  and  then  to  alter  somewhat  the  bill  of  fare,  and 


THE  LETHE  WEED  127 

the  uncertainty  as  to  what  changes  would  be  made 
added  an  agreeable  zest  to  the  daily  existence. 

I  should  be  glad  to  give  some  particulars  as  to 
the  manner  in  which  the  various  dishes  were  prepared, 
but,  to  confess  the  truth,  I  never  quite  mastered  the 
mysteries  of  the  public  kitchens.  I  can  only  say  that 
I  ate  everything  I  could  obtain  with  much  avidity. 
The  sea-horse  salad  was  a  dainty  morsel  to  my  palate, 
and  the  sea-dog  reminded  me  of  beefsteak.  The 
man  with  an  abnormal  appetite  is  a  poor  judge  of 
culinary  art, —  a  fact  which  is  wiell  illustrated  by  the 
eagerness  with  which  the  Parisians  ate  rats  during  the 
German  siege,  and  by  similar  tales  as  to  the  loss  of 
fastidiousness  in  taste  by  men  overmastered  by  the 
craving  for  food. 

I  have  spoken  about  the  ends  of  equality  being  sub- 
served, but  to  this  statement  I  am  in  duty  bound  to 
make  one  reservation,  I  refer  to  the  fact  that  some  of 
the  population  were  not  allowed  to  eat  when  the  ma- 
jority did.  The  excuse  was  that  a  few  occupations 
were  of  such  a  nature  as  to  preclude  their  followers 
from  enjoying  a  privilege  open  to  the  many.  I  could 
never  reconcile  in  my  own  mind  the  inconsistency  of 
this  excuse  with  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
Democracy.  For  example,  there  were  the  meal  in- 
spectors.   Did  they  not  have  as  much  right  as  any 


128  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

other  class  of  people  to  eat  at  the  time  the  principal 
meal  was  served  ?  I  could  never  refrain  from  admiring 
the  self-control  of  these  men,  who,  stifling  the  pangs  of 
hunger,  watched  us  consume  the  food  before  us,  their 
alert  eyes  ever  ready  to  detect  the  least  infraction  of 
the  rules  as  to  the  handling  of  eating  utensils,  the 
mastication  of  food  and  the  other  regulations  con- 
tained in  the  interesting  and  voluminous  Dinner  Code. 
Perhaps  these  martyrs  of  the  Democracy  satisfied 
their  longing  for  food  at  a  second  table,  but  even  if 
they  did,  what  must  they  have  suffered  in  the  agony 
of  waiting? 

When  the  doctor  and  I  had  finished  our  dinner  on 
the  day  of  which  I  am  speaking,  we  returned  to  the 
anteroom  of  the  laboratory,  and  there,  having  closed 
the  door,  my  friend  surreptitiously  handed  me  a  chunk 
of  mana,  which  he  said  he  had  preserved  from  his 
share  at  dinner,  hiding  it  in  his  robe  when  the  in- 
spectors were  not  looking.  I  accepted  the  kindness 
with  profuse  thanks,  and,  keeping  the  hard-baked 
crust  buried  in  the  folds  of  my  garment,  I  now  and 
then  stole  a  nibble  from  it.  By  this  flagrant  disre- 
gard of  the  sacred  Dinner  Code  the  demands  of  my 
appetite  were  considerably  assuaged,  and  I  began  to 
feel  that  comfortable  physical  sensation  which  craves 
a  good  cigar. 


THE  LETHE  WEED  129 

"  Doctor,"  I  said  at  last,  giving  audible  expression 
to  my  desire,  "  I  wish  I  had  a  smoke." 

Now  I  no  more  expected  having  my  wish  granted 
than  in  other  days  I  expected  to  become  a  man  of 
money  by  mere  virtue  of  saying  aloud,  as  I  frequently 
did,  that  I  wished  I  had  a  thousand  dollars.  Imagine 
my  surprise  then  when  the  doctor  replied : 

"  Why,  certainly  you  may  have  a  smoke,  or  as  many 
as  you  wish.  You  see  this  is  the  smoke-time.  I  do 
not  indulge,  except  at  rare  intervals,  and  I  had  not 
thought  that  you  would  care  to  do  so,  or  I  •  would 
have  introduced  you  to  the  lethe  weed  before  this. 
But  I  must  say  I  do  not  think  you  should  smoke 
—  or  I  either,  for  that  matter." 

"  Oh,  smoking  in  moderation  never  did  any  one 
harm.  Doctor.     Come,  now,  let  me  sample  your  weed." 

The  doctor  with  hesitation  yielded  to  my  persua- 
sions, and,  leaving  the  room,  returned  shortly  with  a 
number  of  cigars  which  looked  like  Pittsburg  cheroots, 
only  they  were  much  longer  and  red  instead  of  black 
in  color.  Hastily  lighting  one  I  found  that  it  smoked 
freely  and  that  the  flavor  was  pleasant,  having  a 
faint  suggestion  of  opium.  The  doctor  also  lighted 
one,  and  for  some  moments  we  smoked  in  silence. 

"  Why,  Doctor,"  I  said  at  last,  "  this  is  an  excellent 
smoke.     It  is  strange  you  have  not  told  me  about  these 


130  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

cigars  before.  I  hardly  looked  for  such  a  luxury  in 
Atlantis." 

"  It  is  more  than  a  luxury,"  the  doctor  replied 
gloomily.     "  It  is  a  curse." 

"  Don't  be  a  croaker.  I  grant  that  smoking  may 
be  a  vice,  but  how  could  it  be  a  curse?  " 

No  reply  was  forthcoming  to  this.  As  I  continued 
to  smoke  I  became  conscious  of  a  growing  feeling 
of  exhilaration.  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  things 
began  to  appear  in  a  new  light.  All  my  pessimism 
and  dark  forebodings  disappeared,  and  a  feeling  of 
great  content  took  possession  of  me.  Life,  I  told 
myself,  was  not  half  so  bad  in  Atlantis  as  I  had 
imagined.  The  doctor  now  began  to  talk  and  I 
listened  with   heightened  interest. 

"  I  have  said  that  smoking  is  a  curse,"  he  began. 
"  I  meant  it;  but  you  will  judge  for  yourself.  I  can 
see  that  you  are  already  under  the  influence  of  the 
weed.  I,  too,  shall  be  under  its  influence  in  a  short 
time.  It  affects  me  less  quickly  than  you,  perhaps 
because  this  is  your  first  experience.  There  are  mil- 
lions of  these  cigars,  as  you  call  them,  smoked  in  this 
country,  and  at  this  time  of  the  day  the  whole  popula- 
tion, male  and  female,  banishes  dull  care  and  revels 
in  the  pleasures  of  a  narcotic  debauch." 

"  Narcotic  debauch !    You  are  a  true  doctor.    The 


THE  LETHE  WEED  131 

men  of  your  profession  where  I  came  from  were  for 
ever  inveighing  against  the  use  of  tobacco,  and  here 
you  are  calling  a  little  indulgence  in  the  weed  a  de- 
bauch. As  you  sit  there  smoking  that  cheroot  you 
remind  me  of  a  physician  I  once  knew,  who  was 
always  preaching  to  his  patients  about  the  baneful 
effects  of  nicotine  and  who  at  the  same  time  was  him- 
self an  inveterate  smoker.  You  doctors  are  wonder- 
fully consistent !  " 

"  Well,  my  friend,"  he  rejoined  with  a  faint  smile, 
"I  don't  mind  acknowledging  that  I  am  at  times 
something  of  a  scold.  We  look  at  things  too  darkly 
sometimes,  and  despite  what  I  have  said,  smoking  is 
a  great  pleasure."  With  this  he  began  to  draw  on  his 
cheroot  with  much  complacency,  sending  little  blue 
rings  now  and  then  toward  the  ceiling.  "  I  have  no 
doubt,"  he  continued  after  a  brief  silence,  "  that  where 
you  came  from  smoking  was  permitted  without  any 
restraints  whatever.  At  last  we  find  one  thing  in 
which  there  is  an  analogy  between  your  country  and 
this." 

"  If  you  think  there  are  no  restraints  to  the  tobacco 
habit  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  you  are  very  much 
mistaken,"  I  replied.  "The  government  there  taxes 
the  tobacco  industry  to  the  limit,  making  it  possible 
for  only  the  rich  to  smoke  what  they  please  and  as 


132  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

much  as  they  please.  Then,  again,  in  some  parts  it 
is  even  a  prison  offense  to  smoke  cigarettes." 

"  You  astonish  me !  I  thought  that  yours  was  an 
individuahstic  country,  where  every  man  could  do  just 
as  he  pleased  and  where  the  government  did  not  seek 
to  oppress  any  industry  or  calling." 

"  And  you  astonish  me,"  I  rejoined,  "  when  you 
intimate  that  the  Social  Democracy  does  not  regulate 
the  number  of  cigars  consumed  by  the  individual." 

"  How  strange ! "  remarked  the  doctor  after  a 
pause.  "  So  I  was  wrong  in  believing  that  there  was 
an  analogy  between  this  country  and  yours,  even  in 
this  smoke  business.  What  one  would  think  indi- 
vidualism would  not  do,  it  does,  and  what  socialism 
might  be  expected  to  do,  it  does  not." 

"  Yes,  there  is  something  rather  strange  about  that," 
I  said.  "  But,  so  far  as  individualism  is  concerned, 
its  tobacco  regulations  prove  its  tyranny.  Somebody 
says  that  smoking  is  a  vice,  is  deleterious  to  the 
health,  and  then  a  lot  of  goody-good  people  take  it 
up  and,  the  first  thing  you  know,  the  government  is 
making  war  against  the  so-called  evil.  It  is  the  same 
way  with  gambling,  drinking  and  many  other  things. 
I  call  it  offensive  interference  with  the  right  of  every 
man  to  enjoy  himself  as  he  pleases,  and  if  a  man  is 
foolish   enough   to  contract   injurious  habits,  it's  his 


THE  LETHE  WEED  133 

own  funeral  and  nobody  else's.  Some  contend  that 
the  weakness  in  man's  nature  must  be  protected  from 
temptation,  and  that  men  must  be  restricted  from 
indulging  too  deeply  in  certain  pleasures  in  order  to 
keep  others  from  following  their  example  to  their 
physical  and  mental  detriment.  But  I  consider  such 
argument  absurd." 

"  Your  explanation  of  why  the  tobacco  habit  is 
restrained  by  your  government  is  interesting,"  the 
doctor  remarked.  "  Now  in  the  Democracy,  we  are 
not  worried  about  vices.  The  principle  on  which  we 
act  is  that  each  individual  should  have  all  he  wants  of 
everything  with  the  least  possible  expenditure  of  labor 
in  return  for  it.  In  the  case  of  food,  for  instance, 
theoretically  there  is  no  limit  set  to  the  amount  of 
each  individual's  consumption,  but  in  practice  it  has 
been  found  that  the  supply  is  insufficient  to  satisfy  the 
desires  of  all  and  thus  the  necessity  of  laws  to  insure 
the  equitable  division  of  such  supply  as  exists.  But 
when  it  comes  to  smoking,  the  ideal  aim  of  democracy 
is  unobstructed  by  considerations  as  to  the  available 
supply  of  the  smoke-weed,  or,  as  we  call  it,  the  lethe 
weed.  This  weed  grows  in  inexhaustible  quantities  in 
a  wild  state,  and  only  a  moderate  amount  of  labor  is 
required  to  gather  it  and  convert  it  into  cheroots.  I 
never  could  understand  why  nature  should  be  so  nig- 


134  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

gardly  in  regard  to  the  necessities  of  life  and  so  bounti- 
ful with  the  smoke-weed.  Perhaps  it  is  one  of  her 
mistakes  which  cry  so  loud  for  correction." 

"  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  hear  you  talk  with  such 
wisdom,"  I  rejoined,  "  and  I  am  glad  to  be  in  a  land 
governed  by  sane  ideas.  It  occurs  to  me,  however, 
that,  as  there  are  no  vexatious  problems  as  to  the 
supply,  your  people  would  smoke  the  entire  day." 

"  My  dear  sir,  they  would,"  returned  my  friend, 
"  if  it  were  not  that  smoking  and  working  do  not  go 
well  together.  In  order  to  maintain  the  requisite 
supply  of  food  it  was  found  after  some  heartrend- 
ing trials  that  smoking  would  have  to  be  prohibited 
during  working  hours.  I  do  not  know  why  nature 
should  throw  so  many  obstacles  in  the  way  of  a  true 
socialistic  state,  but  she  seems  determined  that  man 
shall  not  enjoy  that  full  measure  of  ease  and  comfort 
which  his  desires  cry  out  for.  However,  the  Demo- 
cracy seeks  to  ameliorate  the  tyranny  of  nature  as 
much  as  possible,  and  this  being  the  smoke-time,  let 
us  enjoy  ourselves  while  we  may.  I  think  that  during 
these  last  few  days  we  must  have  been  under  some 
evil  spell,  talking  and  planning  as  we  did.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  worry  and  it  is  useless  to  complain,  when 
it  is  evident  that  the  Democracy  is  handling  the  prob- 
lems of  existence  in  the  best  possible  manner  and  with 


THE  LETHE  WEED  135 

a  full  regard  for  the  equal  rights  of  all.  Listen, — 
there  is  the  lecture  bell.  Take  another  weed  and  come 
with  me.  We  shall  mingle  with  our  brothers  and  per- 
haps hear  something  that  will  be  interesting  in  the 
assembly-room." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   SEA-SURGEON    PROVES    HIMSELF   AN    ORATOR 

As  the  doctor  led  the  way  out  of  the  room  I  felt  a 
peculiar  lightness  and  my  legs  seemed  a  trifle  unsteady. 
I  made  an  effort,  like  a  man  in  drink,  to  collect  my 
faculties.  The  thought  came  that  perhaps  I  was  nar- 
cotized, but  so  agreeable  were  my  sensations  that 
I  cared  not.  Better  be  drunk,  I  told  myself,  than 
sober  in  such  a  country,  and  the  idea  seemed  so 
humorous  that  I  laughed  aloud.  My  mirth  must 
have  been  infectious,  for  I  could  see  by  the  facial 
expression  of  my  preceptor  that  he,  too,  was  near  to 
laughing.  It  was  good  to  behold  the  somber  doctor, 
light-hearted  and  free  from  care.  His  conversation 
^vas  animated,  and  the  way  he  extolled  the  Social  De- 
mocracy would  have  done  credit  to  a  Fourth-of-July 
orator  in  a  country  town. 

We  strolled  arm  in  arm  through  several  halls 
and  at  last  into  a  large  room.  The  place  was  so 
filled  with  smoke  that  it  took  some  time  to  discern 
that  it  was  well  crowded  with  my  comrades  of  the 
dormitory.     The  young  men   sat  about  on  benches, 

136 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR      137 

taking  their  ease  in  all  attitudes.  What  surprised 
me  the  most,  however,  was  that  they  were  actually 
talking  to  each  other.  The  scene  was  so  out  of  accord 
with  all  my  previous  experiences  in  Atlantis  that  I 
pinched  myself  to  make  sure  I  was  not  the  victim  of 
some  fantasy.  Being  reasonably  assured  that  it  was 
reality  I  was  filled  with  rapture.  I  never  had  been  a 
recluse  and  the  silent  ways  of  the  Atlantides  had  added 
much  to  my  growing  antipathy  for  them.  But  now 
they  appeared  to  act  like  rational  beings,  and  the  hum 
of  their  voices  seemed  the  sweetest  music  I  had  ever 
heard. 

The  doctor  conducted  me  to  the  front  of  the  hall, 
and,  wheeling  me  about  so  that  all  could  see  my  face, 
he  said : 

"  Comrades,  it  is  my  pleasure  to  introduce  you  to- 
night to  a  stranger  from  a  strange  land.  Though  an 
American,  this  man  was  born  with  strong  socialist 
instincts,  and  through  the  kindness  of  fate  has  been 
snatched  from  an  existence  of  woe  among  savages  to 
dwell  with  us  in  equality  for  the  remainder  of  his 
days." 

The  hum  of  conversation  ceased,  and  a  few  hand- 
claps followed  the  doctor's  words.  There  was  an  em- 
barrassing pause,  when  two  or  three  voices  called  out : 

"  Welcome  to  Atlantis !     You  are  welcome !  " 


138  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

These  kind  greetings  made  me  recover  my  equi- 
poise, and  I  said  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart : 

"  Friends  and  fellow  citizens,  I  appreciate  very 
deeply  your  kindly  welcome.  Your  land  is  the  ideal 
that  has  been  in  my  mind  for  years.  I  little  dreamed, 
when  on  earth  I  followed  the  flag  inscribed,  '  One 
for  All,  and  All  for  One,'  that  I  should  live  to  see 
this  ideal  in  existence.  I  have  observed  you  well  and 
have  been  filled  with  admiration  for  the  great  army 
of  the  Democracy  of  which  you  are  members.  And 
now  that  the  army  after  its  day's  march,  so  to  speak, 
has  come  to  parade  rest,  I  shall  be  only  too  happy  to 
meet  all  of  you  personally  and  enjoy  the  amenities  of 
tlie  hour." 

More  hand-clapping  followed,  and  I  was  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  those  who  had  been  sitting  near  at 
hand.  They  engaged  me  in  pleasant  conversation, 
congratulating  me  on  my  arrival  among  them  and 
saying  they  were  glad  to  make  my  acquaintance.  It 
all  seemed  so  natural,  so  reminiscent  of  old  times  on 
earth,  that  I  was  transported  to  the  fifteenth  heaven. 

"  I  would  like  you  to  meet  an  old  friend."  It  was 
the  voice  of  the  doctor  speaking  in  my  ear,  and  I 
turned  about,  to  be  confronted  by  the  sea-surgeon  who 
had  rescued  me.  It  was  so  much  like  seeing  an  old 
school  chum  after  years  of  separation  that   I   could 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR      139 

have  hugged  him.  He  was  glad  to  meet  me,  also,  and 
we  shook  hands  in  hearty  fashion.  We  were  talking 
together  for  some  minutes  when  suddenly  his  mind 
seemed  to  wander,  and,  casting  a  furtive  look  over 
his  shoulder,  he  said : 

"  You  must  excuse  me.  I  see  my  wife  nodding  to 
me  over  there  and  I  must  go.  But,"  here  he  hesi- 
tated, "  come  with  me  and  I  will  introduce  you." 

Nothing  loath,  I  followed  him.  In  the  direction 
we  were  going  I  saw'  an  old  woman  sitting  on  a 
bench.  Coming  closer,  I  could  discern  her  features 
through  the  haze  of  smoke,  and  was  astounded  to  find 
that  it  was  the  old  witch  who  had  charge  of  insane 
hospital  No.  97.  The  shock  of  this  discovery  al- 
most sobered  me.  The  vision  of  the  beautiful  girl 
pleading  for  mercy  for  the  youth  in  the  court-room  at 
once  rose  before  me  in  vivid  outline,  and  here  was 
her  jailer,  for  whom  I  had  been  looking  many  days. 
What  should  I  do?  The  occasion  I  knew  was  one 
for  quick  decision,  but  as  I  approached  her  I  could 
not,  for  the  life  of  me,  determine  upon  any  line  of 
action. 

I  gazed  at  the  ogress,  smoking  a  cheroot,  which  she 
wielded  like  a  man,  and  it  seemed  to  my  perturbed 
brain  that  she  was  returning  my  look  with  interest. 
As  she  took  the  cigar  from  her  toothless  gums  I  could 


140  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

have  sworn  she  was  grinning  at  me.  While  hesitating 
as  to  my  course  I  was  conscious  that  the  lethe  weed 
was  reasserting  its  power,  and  the  thought  insinuated 
itself  into  my  mind  that  it  was  a  foohsh  Quixotic 
scheme  to  try  to  rescue  the  maiden.  What  if  she 
were  beautiful  and  good  —  should  I  jeopardize  my 
peace,  and  perhaps  my  life,  merely  on  that  account? 
Why  hunt  for  trouble  and  why  not  let  things  drift 
as  they  would?  Though  these  thoughts  gained  the 
master}^  yet  I  knew  that  only  indolence  and  cowardice 
could  excuse  them,  but  the  opiate  with  which  I  was 
drugged  had  unmanned  me  and  blunted  the  purposes 
which  in  my  normal  state  I  held  most  dear. 

So  it  was  with  a  smirk  and  a  bow  that  I  greeted 
the  old  witch.  She  rose  from  her  seat  and  before  I 
knew  what  she  was  about  she  slapped  me  familiarly 
on  the  back.  A  creepy  sensation  went  down  my 
spine. 

"  I  know  you !  "  she  exclaimed  in  her  piping  voice. 
"'  I've  got  a  good  memory.  I  saw  you  in  the  court- 
room. I  tell  you  that  was  a  plain  talk  I  gave  those 
judges  that  day."     With  this  she  laughed  ghoulishly. 

The  sea-surgeon  came  up  at  this  point  and  to  my 
utter  astonishment  said :  "  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you 
know  my  wife.     So  no  introduction  is  necessary." 

"  Humph !     If  I    waited   for  you   to  present  me," 


With  a  smirk  and  a  bow  I  greeted  the  old  witch. 


Page  140 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR     141 

she  said,  discharging  a  volume  of  smoke  through  her 
mummified  nostrils,  "  I  never  should  know  anybody. 
Where  have  you  been  so  long  ?  " 

"  Now,  my  dear  wife !  "  replied  the  husband  in  a 
mollifying  tone,  "you  know  that  I  am  to  speak  to- 
night and  that  arrangements  had  to  be  made."  It 
was  plain  that  he  was  afraid  of  her. 

Turning  to  me  she  said :  "  I  have  to  keep  close 
watch  on  my  old  man.  He's  too  good  looking  to 
leave  around." 

While  this  little  comedy  in  connubial  felicity  was 
going  on  I  thought  to  myself  that  I  had  never  seen 
such  an  ill-sorted  pair  in  all  my  life.  The  man  was 
handsome  for  an  Atlantide.  He  had  a  well-shaped 
head  with  a  broad  brow,  a  firm  chin,  a  good  mouth, 
a  Roman  nose  and  deep-set  and  expressive  eyes.  His 
hair  was  black  and  glossy  and  reached  nearly  to  his 
shoulders.  He  was  broad  shouldered,  tall  and  straight. 
On  the  other  hand,  his  spouse,  as  far  as  pulchritude 
went,  was  his  direct  antithesis.  She  was  a  graceless 
old  vixen  who  hobbled  with  a  cane  and  inspired  every 
one  with  feelings  of  repulsion. 

Not  knowing  what  else  to  say  to  the  woman,  I  asked 
inanely  how  long  she  had  been  married. 

"  Two  years  to  my  man  here,"  she  replied.  "  I 
have  been  married  five  times,  but  I  never  got  such  a 


142  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

fine-looking  man  before.  He's  the  handsomest  fel- 
low in  Atlantis." 

"  The  marriage  customs  in  this  country  are  the 
best  I  ever  saw,"  I  remarked  suggestively. 

"  They  are  perfect,  young  man.  I  suppose  where 
you  came  from  good-looking  people  can  marry  one 
another,  but  here  we  have  a  regard  for  equal  rights 
and  do  not  permit  any  discrimination  against  those 
who  are  shy  on  looks."  She  paused  and  with  a  silly 
simper  continued: 

"  Do  you  think  I  am  pretty  ?  " 

The  inability  to  tell  a  lie  glibly  and  convincingly 
has  been  one  of  my  lifelong  failings,  and  the  creature, 
who  was  looking  at  me  shrewdly,  suddenly  began  to 
laugh  immoderately, 

"  You  need  not  answer,"  she  piped.  "  You  think  I 
am  ugly.  I  am.  I  am  the  ugliest  woman  in  the  cav- 
ern and  I  am  proud  of  it." 

Never  before  having  heard  a  woman  boast  of  her 
ugliness  I  was  speechless. 

"  The  worse  a  woman  looks  here,"  she  continued, 
"  the  finer  man  she  gets.  Why,  all  the  women  I  meet 
are  secretly  jealous  of  me.  I  am  the  paragon  of  ugli- 
ness, the  model  for  young  girls.  Now  I  suppose  you 
would  say  that  the  atavar  you  saw  in  the  court-room 
was  pretty?  " 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR      143 

She  again  looked  shrewdly  at  me,  but  without  wait- 
ing for  a  reply  continued: 

"  I  have  tried  my  best  to  redeem  that  girl,  but  she 
persists  in  disregarding  my  advice  and  consequently 
if  she  gets  a  husband  she  will  get  an  ugly  one.  Some 
people  don't  have  sense  enough  to  see  what's  good 
for  them,  and  she  is  one  of  that  kind." 

I  was  saved  from  making  reply  by  her  turning  to 
her  husband.  Interrupting  the  conversation  he  was 
having  with  a  young  man,  she  exclaimed : 

"  If  you  are  going  to  speak  don't  forget  to  talk 
marriage  as  I  told  you.  j\Iind  what  I  say."  There 
was  an  unpleasant  sharpness  in  her  tone,  but  her 
husband  ignored  it  and  replied  that  he  would,  of 
course,  obey  the  request.  He  then  took  me  by  the 
arm  and,  having  made  our  humble  excuses  to  her 
ladyship,  we  returned  to  the  front  of  the  assembly- 
room. 

The  sea-surgeon,  or  Mr.  Brine  as  I  shall  call  him, 
that  being  his  family  name  of  which  he  told  me  at 
the  time  of  my  rescue,  mounted  a  small  rostrum  and 
addressed  the  audience.     He  began  by  saying: 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  you  will  kindly  take  fresh 
cheroots  and  I  will  endeavor  to  speak  to  you  about 
our  beloved  Democracy." 

The  cigar  inspectors  brought  in  a  new  supply  of 


144  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the    weed    and    after    some   confusion    the    audience 
quieted  down  to  hsten. 

"  We  Hve  in  a  wonderful  age,"  the  orator  began 
again,  "  Never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  has 
absolute  equality  been  so  nearly  attained.  The  mil- 
lennium is  certainly  only  a  few  years  away,  and  you 
should  be  proud  to  live  during  the  period  which  will 
see  the  annihilation  of  the  last  vestiges  of  the  system 
of  oppression  and  robbery  of  the  many  by  the  few. 
(Applause.) 

"  Let  me  enumerate  some  of  our  blessings.  There 
is,  first,  equality  in  marriage.  Every  person  has  as 
much  right  as  another  to  marry  any  certain  person. 
Formerly,  when  two  men  desired  the  hand  of  the 
same  maiden,  they  settled  who  should  get  her  by  the 
duel.  This  barbarous  custom  has  been  uprooted  by 
the  State  stepping  in  and  deciding  by  scientific  and 
equitable  rules  the  mating  of  the  individuals." 

At  this  point  the  wife  of  the  speaker  pounded 
loudly  on  the  floor  with  her  stick. 

"  Then,  second,  there  is  the  total  absence  of  ostenta- 
tion and  display.  The  labor  of  thousands  was  for- 
merly wasted  in  producing  finery,  and  men  made 
themselves  miserable  because  they  envied  each  other 
the  possession  of  useless  articles.  In  those  days,  also, 
there  were  those  with  the  so-called  esthetic  or  artistic 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR     145 

temperament,  who  spent  their  time  in  painting,  sculp- 
ture and  the  writing  of  poetry.  It  was  only  a  per- 
verted taste  that  called  for  such  things,  and  we  are 
now  happily  rid  of  this  species  of  foolishness. 

"  Third,  there  is  the  equality  in  the  division  of  food. 
This  brings  me  to  the  consideration  of  the  food  sup- 
ply, than  which  there  is  no  greater  problem  facing 
the  intellects  of  the  present  generation.  It  is  easily 
seen  that  no  individual  has  a  right  to  expect  a  larger 
share  of  the  food  supply  than  another,  but  it  is  more 
difficult  to  understand  why  the  share  going  to  each  is 
not  larger  than  it  is.  It  grieves  me  much  to  learn 
that  one  of  your  number  recently  tried  to  cheat  the 
State  of  an  extra  allowance,  and  I  hope  the  offense 
will  not  be  repeated.  Those  who  consider  for  a  mo- 
ment the  difficulties  with  which  the  State  contends,  in 
securing  each  day  sufficient  food  to  meet  the  present 
allowance  to  each  individual,  will  certainly  appreciate 
the  grave  injustice  worked  on  the  many  by  any 
one  obtaining  more  than  his  share.  It  is  not  the 
fault  of  the  Democracy  that  food  does  not  grow 
in  abundance  ready  for  the  eating. 

"  We  learn  in  the  ancient  books  that  when  Adam 
sinned  he  was  driven  from  the  food-producing  trees 
of  Eden,  and  the  curse  was  pronounced  that  he  and  his 
descendants  should  thenceforth  live  by  the  sweat  of 


146  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

their  brows.  The  Democracy  has  done  much  and  will 
do  more  toward  mitigating  this  curse.  All  useless  vo- 
cations have  been  abolished,  and  no  one  escapes  con- 
tributing his  share  of  toil  toward  the  production  of  the 
necessar}'  sustenance  for  the  nation.  It  stands  to  reason 
that  the  Democracy  is  able  to  produce  much  more  food 
than  a  like  population  could  in  the  old  days.  Now 
there  are  no  drones,  no  non-producing  classes,  and, 
again,  the  division  of  the  food  supply  in  former  times 
was  characterized  by  great  extravagance  and  waste 
among  the  rich,  while  the  poor  suffered  from  want.  It 
is  surprising  that  many  were  not  continually  dying  of 
starvation  in  those  days,  and  yet  we  do  not  find 
any  record  that  such  was  the  case.  Either  the  fact  was 
not  published  or  else  nature  was  more  lenient  to  man- 
kind in  the  earlier  stages  of  intellectual  development 
than  she  is  now.  Whatever  the  cause,  we  are  to-day 
faced  by  a  condition,  not  a  theory.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  men  of  this  age  to  work  from  twelve 
to  fifteen  hours  a  day  in  order  that  they  may  not 
starve,  and  this  despite  the  employment  of  scientific 
methods  and  the  doing  away  with  all  useless  labor. 
Were  we  to  return  to-day  to  the  old  chaotic  system 
of  individualism  it  would  certainly  mean  general 
starvation.  But  the  time  is  coming,  my  friends,  when 
the  Democracy  will  successfully  solve  this  problem  of 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR      147 

the  food  supply  and  bring  about  the  reduction  of 
hours  of  labor  which  is  our  aim.     (Applause.) 

"  I  should  like  to  ask  our  friend  here  from  America 
what  the  average  weight  of  the  individual  is  in  his 
country." 

On  the  spur  of  the  moment  I  could  not  see  the 
speaker's  drift,  but  I  replied  that  the  average  height 
of  a  man  was  about  five  feet  eight  inches,  and  that 
for  a  man  of  this  height  the  average  weight  was  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty-four  pounds.  I  could  see  that 
my  statement  caused  something  of  a  sensation,  as  it 
was  followed  by  much  whispering  in  the  audience. 

"  Now,  citizens,  you  see  that  where  our  friend  came 
from  the  men  are  considerably  larger  than  we  are. 
It  may  surprise  you  also  that  the  records  of  the  an- 
cients go  to  show  that  even  six  feet  was  not  an 
unusual  height  in  those  days.  It  is  self-evident  that 
the  bigger  a  man  is  the  more  food  he  requires,  but 
in  order  to  prove  this  statement,  beyond  peradventure 
of  a  doubt,  I  shall  ask  our  friend  what  is  the  weight 
of  the  average  daily  diet  considered  as  necessary  in 
America  for  sustaining  the  individual." 

I  thought  for  a  moment  and  then,  remembering 
some  of  my  school-knowledge,  I  replied  that  the 
average  man  requires  about  seven  pounds  of  food 
and  water  a  day,  of  which  nearly  a  pound  and  a  half 


148  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

is  dry-food  substance.  This  statement  produced  even 
a  greater  commotion  than  the  one  regarding  the  aver- 
age weight,  and  the  speaker,  before  he  could  proceed, 
had  to  call  for  silence. 

"  The  average  height  in  this  country,"  he  continued,. 
"  is  five  feet,  the  average  weight  one  hundred  and  ten 
pounds,  and  the  daily  allowance  of  food  is,  of  dry 
substances,  three-quarters  of  a  pound.  What  a  bless- 
ing it  is,  my  friends,  that  such  is  the  case !  If  the 
daily  allowance  had  to  be  increased  to  one  pound, 
imagine  the  great  amount  of  additional  labor  it  would 
entail !  It  would  be  terrific.  It  would  simply  be  im- 
possible to  perform  it.  Consequently,  the  necessary 
food  would  not  be  produced.  Now  you  have  to  thank 
the  Democracy  for  saving  you  from  such  a  dire  pos- 
sibility, with  its  frightful  train  of  starvation  and  of  dis- 
ease. How  has  the  Democracy  performed  this  mira- 
cle ?  Simply  by  lessening  the  amount  of  food  essential 
for  life.  As  you  all  know,  it  has  been  some  genera- 
tions since  the  plan  of  making  gradual  and  quite  im- 
perceptible reductions  in  the  food  allowance  was 
inaugurated,  and  we  have  now  reached  the  point 
where  man  subsists  on  half  the  food  he  once  required. 
What  if  the  average  stature  and  weight  have  been 
reduced,  are  not  we  large  enough?  This  beneficent 
process  is  continuing,  a  few  grains  of  weight  being 


THE  SEA-SURGEON  AN  ORATOR     149 

clipped  off  the  daily  allowance  for  each  person  each 
year.  Who  can  say  but  that  in  a  few  generations 
the  amount  of  food  required  will  be  so  small  as  to 
reduce  labor  to  a  minimum?  Let  us,  for  the  sake 
of  posterity,  do  our  part  toward  hastening  this  mil- 
lennium. Let  us  be  patient.  Our  civilization  is  the 
highest  now  in  all  the  universe,  but  to  say  that  we 
can  not  solve  the  problem  of  the  food  supply  is  to 
say  that  our  civilization  is  a  failure,  and  to  say  that 
our  civilization  is  a  failure  is  to  deny  the  veracity 
of  our  sense-perceptions.  (Loud  applause.)  I  would 
now  like  to  ask  our  friend  from  the  upper  world  to 
make  some  remarks." 

I  was  taken  completely  by  surprise,  but  I  endeavored 
to  do  the  occasion  justice.  Among  other  things  I 
said  : 

"Your  speaker  has  greatly  interested  me  by  his 
remarks  respecting  the  gradual  reduction  of  the  daily 
allowance  of  food.  I  regard  the  plan  as  feasible  and 
scientific.  It  recalls  to  my  mind  some  experiments 
made  in  the  state  of  Missouri  on  a  donkey,  whicK 
is  a  beast  of  burden  there.  In  order  to  lessen  the 
cost  of  his  keep  the  owner  of  the  animal  gave  him 
one  straw  less  each  day,  and  after  the  course  of  many 
weeks  the  amount  of  straw  given  him  daily  was  re- 
duced from  several  large  armfuls  to  as  much  as  could 


ISO  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

be  carried  in  one  hand.  The  experiment  was  very 
interesting." 

"Did  the  donkey  suffer  any  inconvenience?"  quer- 
ied Mr.  Brine. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  sorry  to  say  it  did.  In 
fact,  it  died." 

Looking  about  I  saw  that  my  remark  had  made  a 
most   unfavorable   impression    and    I   hastily   added: 

"  Of  course,  the  case  of  the  donkey  proves  nothing, 
except  that  there  was  too  much  haste  in  reducing  the 
daily  allowance.  Had  the  experiment  been  drawn 
cut  over  a  number  of  generations  of  donkeys,  instead 
of  attempting  to  rectify  the  evil  habit  of  eating  in  one 
animal  alone,  I  believe  that  complete  success  would 
have  been  achieved."     (Applause.) 


CHAPTER  XV 

MR.    brine's  views  ON   MONETARY  SYSTEMS 

When  the  speaking  was  over  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brine 
and  the  doctor  and  myself  formed  a  circle  and  en- 
gaged in  a  lively  conversation  regarding  the  many 
reforms  which  had  been  brought  about  by  the  De- 
mocracy. In  this  way  we  drifted  into  a  long  talk 
about  the  money  systems  of  the  ancients  and  also  of 
America.  Having  been  a  free-silver  advocate  on 
earth  I  could  speak  voluminously  on  the  topic,  never 
being  at  a  loss  for  a  word  and  always  being  able  to 
develop  some  new  phase  of  the  subject  when  the 
consideration  of  the  one  in  hand  began  to  lag.  I 
shall  not  weary  my  readers  with  a  reproduction  of 
this  conversation,  although  I  must  say  some  of  it  was 
intensely  edifying. 

Mr.  Brine,  for  example,  dwelt  with  earnest  en- 
thusiasm on  the  signal  and  remarkable  achievement 
of  the  Democracy  in  demonetizing  all  kinds  of  metals 
that  had  been  used  for  money.  He  declared  it  was 
the  death-blow  to  plutocracy,  and  I  was  disposed  to 
agree  thoroughly  with  him  on  the  point.     I  remember 

151 


152  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

his  saying :  "  With  one  mighty  assertion  of  the  peo- 
ple's rights,  capitaHsm  was  vanquished,  and  the  evil 
brood  of  bankers,  speculators,  and  money-changers 
was  driven  from  the  Capitol  and  compelled  to  go  to 
work.  It  was  calculated  that  the  army  of  producers 
was  increased  twenty-five  per  cent,  by  this  one  re- 
form, and  the  burden  of  supporting  in  sumptuous 
idleness  the  moneyed  aristocracy  was  for  ever  lifted 
from  the  shoulders  of  the  common  people."  He  was 
much  interested  in  my  account  of  the  efforts  being 
made  in  America  to  make  money  cheaper  by  mone- 
tizing cheaper  substances  than  gold,  and  thought  it 
was  an  indication  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  peo- 
ple's cause  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

"  In  time,"  he  said,  "  your  compatriots  will  begin 
to  see  that  money  of  any  kind  is  entirely  useless.  It 
was  some  centuries  before  the  Democracy  saw  the  full 
light  of  truth  on  the  subject,  the  last  substitute  used 
for  money  being  credit  cards.  When  these  cards 
were  done  away  with,  all  the  useless  labor  connected 
with  maintaining  a  medium  of  exchange  was  abol- 
ished." 

I  was  deeply  impressed. 

"'  But  there  is  one  thing,"  continued  Mr.  Brine, 
"  that  I  think  remains  to  be  done,  and  that  is  the  de- 
struction of  the  coin  and  substitutes  for  money  now 


BRINE  ON  MONETARY  SYSTEMS     153 

collected  in  the  Hall  of  Curiosities.  I  have  always 
felt  that  we  have  been  derelict  in  allowing  this  debris 
to  remain  there,  for  as  long  as  it  is  in  existence  it  is 
a  potential  temptation  to  coming  generations." 

My  purpose  of  relieving  the  Democracy  of  its 
hoarded  wealth  came  back  for  an  instant  to  my  mind 
and  I  exclaimed : 

"  I  coincide  with  your  views,  Mr.  Brine.  I  shall 
think  about  the  matter  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to 
make  some  suggestions  as  to  the  best  method  of  re- 
moving this  standing  temptation  to  the  people." 

The  surgeon  at  once  evinced  the  liveliest  interest. 

"  You  would  perform  a  valued  service  should  you 
manage  to  do  so,"  he  replied  eagerly.  "  To  my  mind 
this  accumulation  of  the  money  of  the  past  is  a  dung- 
heap  of  iniquity,  and  I  have  a  theory  that  any  one 
who  meddles  with  it  will  be  contaminated,  I  do  not 
say  that  you  will  —  you  have  been  accustomed  to 
handling  money  and  your  chance  of  escaping  evil  in 
dealing  with  the  villainous  material  would  undoubt- 
edly be  better  than  that  of  any  one  else  who  might 
attempt  it.  Of  course,  you  could  do  nothing  without 
a  law  on  the  subject,  and  it  might  be  difficult  to  have 
a  law  passed ;  but  this  money  is  an  eyesore  to  all  vis- 
itors to  the  Hall  of  Curiosities  and  a  menace  to  the 
purity  of  the  moral  atmosphere  of  the  Democracy." 


154  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

The  bell,  which  was  the  signal  that  the  evening 
love-feast  was  over,  now  broke  in  on  our  conver- 
sation, and  Mrs.  Brine,  who  had  shown  much  in- 
terest in  our  talk,  putting  in  a  pointed  remark  now 
and  then,  said  it  was  too  bad  we  had  to  adjourn. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  take  the  young  man  home 
with  us,"  she  remarked  to  her  husband. 

The  surgeon  at  once  accepted  the  suggestion,  and 
after  scurrying  around  to  fix  it  with  the  inspectors, 
it  was  arranged  that  I  should  spend  the  night  with 
the  Brines. 

The  doctor  whispered  in  my  ear  and,  excusing 
ourselves  for  a  few  minutes,  he  led  me  back  to  the 
laboratory,  where,  after  carefully  closing  the  door, 
he  said : 

"  I  have  brought  you  here  in  order  to  give  you 
a  dose  of  a  secret  preparation  of  my  own." 

With  this  he  poured  from  a  bottle  a  small  quantity 
of  blackish  fluid  into  a  glass.  When  I  had  swallowed 
the  decoction  he  proceeded  to  take  a  similar  dose 
himself. 

Immediately  my  brain  became  clear,  the  effects  of 
the  lethe  weed  entirely  disappearing.  Realizing  what 
he  had  done  I  said: 

"Thanks,  Doctor,  for  sobering  me  up.  That  lethe 
weed  certainly  has  strong  properties." 


BRINE  ON  MONETARY  SYSTEMS      155 

"  It  has  the  merit  of  making  people  forget  their 
troubles,"  he  dryly  remarked. 

"  I  never  cared  so  little  whether  school  kept  or  not 
as  I  have  this  evening,"  I  answered. 

"  I  presume  you  mean,"  he  replied,  "  that  you  felt 
very  well  satisfied  with  your  physical  sensations,  and 
had  no  disposition  to  complain  about  anything.  In 
other  words,  you  were  what  you  call  drunk,  or  partly 
so,  at  least." 

"  I  admire  your  power  of  diagnosis.  Doctor." 

"  Now  you  can  understand,"  he  continued,  "  what 
I  meant  when  I  said  that  the  whole  nation  entered 
nightly  on  a  debauch.  It's  a  way  the  people  have 
of  drowning  their  misery.  During  the  day  they  go 
through  the  tasks  assigned  them  in  a  weary  me- 
chanical way,  and  only  in  the  evening,  by  the  help 
of  the  lethe  weed,  are  they  aroused  to  any  extent  from 
their  accustomed   sluggishness." 

"  Is  it  really  so  bad  ?  "  I  asked.  "  From  what  you 
say  I  infer  that  the  Social  Democracy  is  a  nation  of 
dope  fiends." 

"  I  do  not  think  I  exaggerate,"  he  went  on,  grow- 
ing more  emphatic  in  his  tone.  "  The  lethe  weed 
is  a  fearful  curse.  I  am  sure  that  its  continued  use 
shrivels  up  the  brain  —  at  least  it  makes  its  victims 
stupid,    slothful    and    indifferent    to   their   own   wel- 


IS6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

fare.  I  have  often  thought  that  if  it  were  not  for 
its  benumbing  effect  on  the  energies  and  brains  of  the 
people,  Social  Democracy  would  be  impossible." 

The  idea  of  a  narcotic  being  a  prerequisite  to 
social  democracy  seemed  exceedingly  novel,  and  I 
asked : 

"  Were  the  people  addicted  to  the  vice  before  the 
establishment  of  the  Democracy  ?  " 

"  No, —  that  has  always  been  a  surprising  fact  to 
me,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  learn  from  the  records 
that  when  the  people  had  to  do  their  own  thinking 
the  use  of  the  weed  was  considered  disgraceful,  and 
men  were  even  arrested  and  imprisoned  if  they  were 
addicted  to  it.  It  was  some  time  after  the  Demo- 
cracy was  definitely  founded  that  smoking  became  a 
popular  habit." 

"  It  was  difficult  for  me  to  see,"  I  put  in,  "  why 
any  nation  in  the  possession  of  its  faculties  would 
deliberately  take  up  with  such  a  vice.  My  faith  in 
human  nature  is  vindicated,  however,  for,  as  you 
say,  it  was  only  after  the  Democracy  was  established, 
when  the  people  were  already  in  a  semi-somnolent 
condition,  and  when  their  faculties  had  begun  to  be 
atrophied  from  disuse,  that  they  took  to  the  weed." 

"  Still,  the  weed  has  the  effect  of  deadening  the 
minds  of  the  people  to  their  condition,"  the   doctor 


BRINE  ON  MONETARY  SYSTEMS     157 

remarked  thoughtfully.  "  But  we  are  talking  too  long 
—  you  must  hasten  back  to  your  appointment.  I  wish 
you  good  fortune." 

During  the  course  of  this  conversation  my  mind 
was  busy  recalling  the  events  of  the  evening,  and  I 
was  highly  elated  over  the  turn  affairs  were  taking. 
Not  only  had  I  come  in  contact  with  the  ogress  who 
guarded  the  prison  of  the  fair  atavar,  but  I  was  actually 
going  to  the  old  woman's  abode,  which  more  than 
likely  was  the  prison  itself.  I  again  thanked  the  doc- 
tor for  restoring  me  to  my  normal  mentality,  and 
hurried  back  to  the  assembly-room. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  PRISON   OF  THE   ATAVARS 

The  Brines  were  waiting  for  me  and  without  loss 
of  time  we  made  our  way  out  of  the  building.  In- 
stead of  heading  for  the  overland  car-lines  we  de- 
scended the  steps  leading  to  the  street. 

"  Are  we  going  to  walk  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  old  woman,  "  the  hospital  is  only 
a  short  distance." 

Her  words  filled  me  with  joy.  It  was  true,  then, 
that  they  lived  at  the  hospital,  and  I  would  surely 
contrive  to  see  the  girl.  To  think,  too,  that  the  hos- 
pital was  only  a  short  distance  from  the  dormitory ! 

We  proceeded  slowly  along  the  trench-like  streets 
under  the  radium  lights,  the  surgeon  on  one  side  of 
the  dame  and  I  on  the  other.  My  companions,  I 
judged,  were  still  under  the  effects  of  the  weed,  and 
I  endeavored  to  keep  them  pleased  by  my  comments 
on  the  beneficent  character  of  the  country's  institu- 
tions. At  last  I  thought  it  safe  to  venture  a  remark 
about  atavars  in  general,  and,  addressing  the  woman, 
I  said: 

158 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS       159 

"  As  you  are  in  charge  of  an  insane  asylum,  I  know 
you  could  tell  me  a  great  deal  about  those  unfortu- 
nate beings  who  are  so  irrational  as  not  to  appreciate 
the  Democracy." 

The  woman  immediately  entered  on  a  voluminous 
tirade  against  the  creatures,  whom  she  declared  to  be 
the  bane  of  the  country. 

"  I  could  tear  out  the  hearts  of  all  of  them ! "  she 
cried  vindictively. 

I  could  hardly  hide  my  aversion,  but  said  as  natur- 
ally as  I  could: 

"  I  should  like  the  opportunity  of  seeing  some  of 
them.     I  should  like  to  study  them." 

"  Very  well,"  she  replied ;  "  it  will  do  you  good  to 
see  what  it  means  to  be  an  atavar." 

There  was  something  in  the  look  she  gave  me  that 
made  me  feel  uneasy.  Could  she  have  intended  a 
double  meaning?  The  idea  suddenly  struck  me  that 
this  woman  was  certainly  a  masterful  creature  to  be 
an  inhabitant  of  Atlantis.  I  could  not  reconcile  her 
shrewdness  and  independence  of  thought  with  the  do- 
cility and  stupidity  of  the  average  good  citizen,  and  I 
mentally  resolved  to  be  wary  of  her. 

In  order  to  change  the  subject  I  asked  the  surgeon 
how  things  were  in  the  Fishery  Department, 

"If  you  think,"  he  replied  with  a  smile,  "  that  I 


i6o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

have  rescued  any  more  of  your  Americans  you  are 
mistaken.  It  was  a  rare  catch  when  I  got  you.  I 
recently  secured  a  pecuharly-shaped  object,  however, 
and  as  we  can  make  nothing  of  it  you  will  probably 
be  asked  to  tell  us  what  it  is," 

"What  is  it  like?"  I  asked. 

"  It  is  of  considerable  length  but  rather  narrow  in 
■width,  tapering  at  both  ends.  The  substance  is  hard 
like  copper.  It  has  a  keel  on  its  under  side,  while  on 
the  upper  side  there  is  a  cylindrical  projection,  in  the 
top  of  which  there  is  something  which  looks  like  a 
lid,  but  which  I  have  not  succeeded  in  opening." 

I  puzzled  over  the  description. 

"  I  should  be  pleased  to  see  it,"  I  said  politely, 
though  not  particularly  interested. 

By  this  time  we  had  turned  several  street  corners, 
of  which  I  made  a  careful  note,  and  at  last  my  com- 
panions came  to  a  stop  before  a  number  of  steps  that 
led  into  the  coral  cliiT  or  street  wall.  '  I  looked  for  some 
sign  to  show  the  place  was  a  hospital,  but  there  was 
none,  and  so  far  as  I  could  see,  the  steps  and  entrance 
were  in  no  wise  distinguishable  from  many  others 
along  the  street.  Even  had  the  doctor  and  I  passed 
the  place  in  our  daily  excursions  we  would  not  have 
taken  it  for  a  hospital. 

Ascending  the  steps  we  entered  a  small  lighted  hall. 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS       i6i 

On  the  left  were  two  doors,  leading,  as  it  afterward 
appeared,  to  the  private  rooms  of  the  Brines,  while 
on  the  right  were  two  other  doors  protected  by  heavy 
metal  gratings  and  leading  to  the  prison  cells.  We 
entered  one  of  the  doors  on  the  left. 

"  Oh  my !  oh  my !  "  sighed  Mrs.  Brine,  as  she  sank 
upon  a  seat,  "  I  am  not  what  I  once  was.  My  old 
bones  are  going  back  on  me.  Now,  young  man,  you 
are  in  a  female  prison,  and  my  husband  is  the  only 
man  about  the  place  and  he  doesn't  count."  She 
glanced  around  the  room  and  began  to  issue  com- 
mands, which  the  surgeon  proceeded  to  carry  out  with 
admirable  docility.  I  must  say  that  he  put  a  good  deal 
of  dignity  as  well  as  deftness  in  the  manner  in  which 
he  "  policed  "  the  apartments,  as  it  would  be  termed 
in  military  circles.  The  rooms  needed  attention  badly 
enough,  as  even  a  careless  man  like  myself  could  see, 
and  I  formed  a  very  poor  opinion  of  the  housewifery 
of  my  ill-favored  hostess.  While  her  ladyship  fussed 
and  fumed,  her  husband  fetched  and  carried.  What  a 
dull  and  cheerless  fate  for  the  sea-surgeon !  And  how 
he  bore  it  like  a  soldier! 

"  We  have  only  a  short  time  before  the  law  com- 
pels us  to  go  to  bed,"  said  the  madam  at  the  end  of 
a  garrulous  chatter  to  which  I  had  paid  little  heed. 
"  So  I  must  shake  out  my  kinks  and  make  the  nightly 


i62  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

round  of  the  establishment.  Would  you  like  to  see 
my  beauties  ?  Of  course  you  would !  I  see  it  in  your 
eyes.  We've  had  a  good  time  to-night,  and  we'll  wind 
it  up  by  showing  you  something.     He,  he,  he ! '' 

"  Can't  I  do  it  for  you?  "  said  her  husband. 

"  Not  to-night.     Hand  me  my  keys." 

Mr.  Brine  took  the  keys  from  a  shelf  near  the  door 
and  brought  them  to  the  woman,  after  which  she 
arose  and  hobbled  out  into  the  hall,  beckoning  me  to 
follow. 

She  first  opened  the  ponderous  door  of  what  she 
called  the  reception-room.  It  was  merely  a  large 
room  containing  only  a  few  benches  and  a  table. 

"  You  will  sleep  here  to-night,"  she  said. 

The  remaining  iron  door  in  the  hall  was  then  un- 
locked and  entering  behind  her  I  was  soon  treading 
a  long  corridor  with  cells  on  either  side.  At  last  I 
was  in  the  prison-house  I  had  been  seeking.  I  strove 
to  appear  calm  and  not  unduly  interested.  The  action 
of  the  old  woman  in  bringing  me  with  her  on  her 
inspection  tour  puzzled  me.  Now  and  then  she  cast 
a  penetrating  glance  toward  me.  Could  it  be  that  the 
lethe  weed  had  sharpened  her  wits  and  that  she 
thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to  test  me,  while,  as  she 
supposed,  I  was  under  the  influence  of  the  stimulant? 

The  thought  put  me  on  my  guard,  and  I  centered 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS      163 

my  mind  on  the  task  of  continuing  the  role  I  had 
played  in  the  assembly-room. 

"  I  can  see,"  I  said,  "  that  you  are  an  able  woman 
and  it  seems  very  fortunate  for  the  Democracy  that 
you  serve  it  in  such  a  valuable  capacity.  Consider- 
ing the  danger  these  atavars  are  to  the  State,  it  would 
be  a  calamity  were  they  put  in  charge  of  some  one 
incapable  of  managing  them." 

"You  are  remarkably  astute,"  she  replied,  eying 
me  keenly.  Then,  after  a  pause :  "  You  are  also  good- 
looking.  Some  may  say  you  are  ugly,  but  I  don't,  and 
I  warn  you  now  not  to  fall  in  love  with  any  of  my 
beauties  or  allow  them  to  fall  in  love  with  you." 

We  had  reached  the  first  cell  and  I  looked  through 
the  interlacing  bars.  The  place  being  fairly  well 
lighted  I  could  see  a  young  girl,  seated  on  the  floor 
and  bending  over  a  stool  on  which  a  large  sheet  of 
paper  was  spread.  On  this  paper  she  was  making 
marks  with  a  piece  of  carbon.  Glancing  up  she  dis- 
closed a  pretty,  appealing  face,  over  which  there  came 
a  look  of  wonderment  as  she  saw  me. 

"  Picture  sketching,"  said  my  guide  laconically. 

In  the  next  cell  was  a  girl  who  was  apparently 
knitting. 

"  Making  pretties  to  be  burned  up,"  scoffed  the  old 
woman.     Then    she    continued:     "In   order   to   keep 


i64  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

them  quiet  I  let  them  draw  or  paint,  make  fancy 
dresses  and  things,  read  ancient  books  or  do  anything 
else  they  have  a  liking  for,  only  I  tell  them  that  the 
more  useless  things  they  do  the  less  their  chances  are 
for  getting  out.  It's  a  sign  of  their  queerness  when 
they  will  waste  their  time  on  such  things." 

"  I  can  see  the  wisdom  of  your  methods  of  treat- 
ment," I  said  with  what  I  hope  will  be  regarded  as 
pardonable  hypocrisy.  "  In  America  the  women  are 
crazy  for  finery  and  literature  and  artistic  fads,  and 
their  insatiate  desire  to  beautify  themselves  and  their 
surroundings  make  many  a  man  scheme  how  to  in- 
crease his  fortune  at  the  expense  of  his  brothers. 
You  know  it  was  Eve  who  led  Adam  to  be  ambitious, 
and  if  you  allowed  these  creatures  to  roam  at  will 
they  would  destroy  the  Social  Democracy  in  the  way 
the  democracy  of  Eden  was  destroyed." 

"  You  have  a  good  faculty  for  thinking,"  mused  the 
old  woman  in  return,  "  but  I  warn  you  it  is  dan- 
gerous to  think  too  much.  Most  people  don't  think. 
It  comes  natural  to  them  not  to  think,  and  the  few 
that  do  think   must  think   right." 

There  was  peculiar  emphasis  to  the  last  sentence 
and  I  quickly  remarked : 

"  I  know  that  I  am  now  in  the  presence  of  one,  at 
least,   who  thinks   and  thinks   right.     The  doctor  at 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS       165 

the  dormitory,  I  take  it,  is  another,  and  your  hus- 
band still  another.  With  three  such  good  teachers 
I  certainly  shall  not  go  astray." 

She  broke  into  her  mirthless  laugh  and  said: 

"  You  may  have  the  making  of  a  good  citizen  in 
you,  but  we  shall  see.  You  say  I  am  one  of  those 
who  think  right.  You  are  correct.  I  may  be  an 
old  crone  but  I've  got  the  brains,  and  never  forget 
it,  young  man.  You  don't  like  my  looks  and  you 
fear  me.  But  you  are  safe  as  long  as  you  obey 
the  laws.  I  am  a  stickler  for  law  enforcement, 
and  I  usually  have  my  way.  Mark  that,  young 
man,  I  usually  have  my  way." 

I  was  sure  there  was  a  menace  in  these  remarks, 
and  the  uneasiness  the  old  witch  inspired  grew  on 
me.  I  was  foolish  enough  to  protest  against  her 
statement  that  I  did  not  like  her  looks  and  that  I 
feared  her,   and  she  laughed  in   my  face. 

But  despite  our  talk,  I  looked  searchingly  into 
every  cell  as  we  continued  down  the  corridor,  and 
was  in  momentary  expectation  of  seeing  the  girl 
whose  image  was  ever  present  in  my  mind.  Each 
face  I  gazed  on  increased  the  pity  I  felt  for  the 
prisoners.  Here,  I  told  myself,  were  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  noblest  of  God's  creatures,  sacrificed  on 
the   altar    of   human    folly.     Evil,    as    personified    in 


i66  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  witch,  seemed  triumphant,  and  the  good  alone 
were  punished.  But  as  I  observed  the  neatness  of 
the  cells  and  the  many  feminine  touches  that  gave 
them  a  pleasing  appearance,  the  thought  came  that 
perhaps,  after  all,  these  poor  girls  were  happier  than 
their  sisters  in  the  outer  world  —  that  world  which 
was  itself  nothing  more  than  a  prison.  Studying 
their  faces,  I  saw,  too,  that  while  they  were  sad,  the 
stamp  of  intelligence  and  refinement  was  there,  which 
was  in  marked  contrast  to  the  coarse  and  vacuous 
features  of  the  women  I  had  seen  on  the  streets. 
The  old  woman  continued  to  relieve  her  mind  and 
now  she  cynically  remarked : 

"  Most  of  these  darlings  made  the  mistake  of 
thinking  too  much,  or  else  of  giving  their  imagina- 
tion too  great  play.  They  are  creatures  with  emo- 
tions, and  they  allow  these  emotions  to  dominate 
them  with  little  regard  for  the  laws.  It  is  wonder- 
ful how  many  silly  girls  are  still  born  in  Atlantis! 
I  suppose  these  girls  remind  you  of  those  in  America, 
where,  no  doubt,  they  are  all  silly.  But  the  De- 
mocracy is  slowly  weeding  out  this  type  of  female. 
I  suppose  it  will  interest  you  to  know  that  most 
of  the  girls  on  this  floor  took  it  into  their  heads  that 
they  were  in  love  with  some  young  man  and  refused 
to    marrv   the    choice   of   the    State.     We   also   have 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS       167 

prisons  for  young  men  who  become  afflicted  in  this 
way,  and  you  see  I  meant  something  when  I  warned 
you  not  to  fall  in  love  with  any  of  my  pets."  With 
this  she  poked  me  in  the  ribs,  which  I  took  to  be 
an  attempt  at  playfulness  on  her  part,  for  she  ac- 
companied the  act  with  a  sample  of  her  peculiar 
laughter. 

"And  would  you  think  it?"  she  went  on;  "most 
of  them  will  not  smoke.  I  encourage  them  to  use 
the  weed,  but  sometimes  it  is  a  long  time  before 
they  will  do  it.  When  they  finally  take  to  it  we 
know  they  are  recovering  their  reason,  and  in  time 
they  are  released  and  married  oflf.  But  there  are 
cases  which  are  hard  to  cure.  I  will  show  you  some 
of  them." 

We  came  to  a  stairway  leading  downward,  and 
this  we  descended  until  we  reached  another  corridor 
similar  to  the  one  we  had  left.  The  inmates  on  this 
floor  were  older  than  those  above,  and  I  could  see 
from  their  faces  that  they  had  apparently  given  up 
hope.  Some  of  them  showed  signs  of  weeping.  I 
trod  the  corridor  with  a  heavy  heart.  The  old  wo- 
man gleefully  pointed  out  the  excellent  effects  of 
her  discipline  and  said: 

"  If  they  do  not  get  their  sanity  on  the  first  floor 
they  get  it  here.     Many  of  these  are  nearly  cured." 


i68  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

Coming'  to  the  end  of  the  corridor  we  descended 
still  another  stairway  to  a  third  tier  of  cells. 

"  Here  is  where  we  have  the  most  hardened  cases," 
said  the  woman.     "  Look   into  this  cell." 

I  saw  a  woman  about  thirty  years  of  age  reading 
a  book.  She  was  neatly  gowned  and  her  hair  was 
arranged  becomingly  with  a  dainty  bow  of  ribbon 
in  its  coils.  She  glanced  up  from  her  book  and  I 
was  struck  by  the  beauty  of  her  countenance  and 
the  look  of  calm  resignation  it  bore. 

"Are  you  ready  to  die?"  said  the  old  woman 
sharply. 

The  face  paled  a  little,  but  in  a  firm  sweet  voice 
the  poor  girl  replied: 

"  Has  the  time  come  ?    Then   I  am  glad." 

The  witch  laughed. 

"  No,  not  yet,  my  darling,"  she  said.  Turning  to 
me  she  added :  "  This  is  one  of  the  incurables.  She 
has  been  sentenced  to  be  thrown  to  the  kraken." 

I  shuddered  involuntarily,  but  the  doomed  girl 
only  sighed,  and  resumed  her  reading. 

In  the  last  cell,  when  I  had  about  given  up  hope  of 
seeing  her,  I  found  the  girl  I  was  so  anxiously  seek- 
ing. She  was  sitting  with  her  head  upon  her  hand, 
her  elbow  resting  on  a  table,  as  though  in  deep  reverie. 
Never,  thought  I,  had  I  seen  a  picture  so  exquisite !    I 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS       169 

gazed  entranced,  for  the  moment  forgetful  of  my  sur- 
roundings, when  the  old  woman  with  a  rasping  voice 
recalled  me  to  my  senses. 

"  Here  is  the  girl  I  take  it  you  want  to  study.  I 
suppose  you  would  like  an  introduction."  The 
words  were  uttered  with  a  sneer,  and  I  replied  with 
an  effort  at  indifference: 

"  So  this  is  the  girl  I  saw  the  other  day !  I  con- 
fess I  do  feel  some  interest,  but  you  need  not  make 
us  acquainted  unless  you  wish  to  do  so." 

"  Ah,  but  you  see,  I  wish  it,"  she  replied. 

She  unlocked  the  cell  grating  and  we  went  inside. 
The  girl  had  risen  and  was  regarding  us  with  amaze- 
ment. My  heart  was  beating  fast,  and  I  divined 
that  the  old  woman  was  closely  observing  me  and 
finding  secret   enjoyment  in  my  agitation. 

"  Here,  my  pretty  one,"  she  gleefully  exclaimed, 
"  I  want  you  to  meet  a  young  fellow  who  admires 
you." 

The  insulting  tone  of  the  old  woman  angered  me, 
and  I  felt  the  blood  in  my  cheeks.  Then  for  a  mo- 
ment I  looked  straight  at  the  girl  and  gazed  into  the 
depths  of  her  blue  eyes.  I  tried  to  say  something,  but 
my  emotions  overmastered  me  and  I  was  silent. 

"  How  long  are  you  two  going  to  stand  there  like 
dumb  idiots?"  piped  out  the  old  woman. 


I70  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

A  soft  voice  replied :  "  I  believe  I  remember  meet- 
ing him  in  the  court-room  when  the  boy  was  tried." 

I   forced   myself   to  say: 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you   again." 

"Can't  you  shake  hands?"  called  out  the  old 
dame. 

We  extended  our  hands  to  each  other  and  for 
one  blissful  moment  they  remained  clasped. 

Suddenly  the  old  woman's  treble  grated  again  in 
my  ear  as  she  said : 

"  I  can  stand  a  good  deal,  but  I'm  too  tired  to 
wait  around  here  for  two  people  to  get  their  tongues 
untied." 

Another  moment  of  sile'nce  occurred  when  the  witch 
cried  out  in  a  tone  of  disgust : 

"  Come  along  and  lock  her  prettiness  in.  I  know 
you  will  like  to  turn  the  key  on  her." 

The  girl  smiled  on  me  and  made  a  slight  nod  of  her 
head. 

I  followed  the  old  dame  out  of  the  cell,  closing 
the  door  after  me  and  turning  the  key  in  the  lock. 
Taking  it  out  I  noticed  mechanically  that  it  was  one 
of  the  smallest  of  the  bunch  and  red  in  color.  Look- 
ing up  at  the  girl  I  said  in  a  low  voice: 

"Trust  me." 

A  light  came  into  her  eyes. 


THE  PRISON  OF  THE  ATAVARS      171 

"  Good  night,"  she  sweetly  replied. 

I  then  observed  that  the  old  woman  was  not  going 
back  along  the  corridor,  but  was  standing  by  a  door 
near  at  hand. 

"  Open  this  door !  "  she  commanded.  "  Use  the 
long  flat  key !  " 

I  searched  among  the  keys  for  the  one  described, 
inserted  and  turned  it  in  the  lock.  The  dame  pushed 
the  door  open,  disclosing  not  another  room,  but  the 
starry  dome  of  the  eternal  night.  I  followed  the  wo- 
man, after  shutting  and  locking  the  door. 

"  I  did  not  want  to  go  back  the  way  we  came," 
she  explained.  "  You  are  a  nice  one !"  she  continued 
with  sarcasm  in  her  tone.  "  You  tell  me  you  want 
to  study  the  atavars,  and  when  I  give  you  a  chance 
you  are  as  stupid  as  a  post." 

I  made  a  great  effort  to  recover  my  wits  and  with 
attempted  raillery  said: 

"  Oh,  but  you  are  too  exacting.  You  can  not  ex- 
pect me  to  be  as  quick  with  the  tongue  as  you." 

"  I  see  you  used  your  eyes,  though,"  she  replied. 
"  I  used  mine,  too." 

She  chuckled,  and  I  felt  like  choking  her  there 
in  the  silence  and  the  dark.  I  followed  meekly 
enough,  however,  and  after  climbing  a  few  steps  we 
iwere  walking  along  a  side  street.     Soon  we  turned 


172  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

a  corner  on  to  the  main  thoroughfare,  where  we  as- 
cended the  steps  to  the  hospital  entrance.  Arriving 
in  the  hallway  I  handed  the  keys  to  the  woman,  who 
placed  them  on  a  shelf  just  within  the  door  of  the 
room  nearest  the  outer  entrance.  Bidding  me  a  curt 
good  night  the  old  dame  left  me  standing  in  the  hall. 
I  entered  the  reception-room  where  I  found  a  bed 
had  been  arranged,  and  throwing  myself  down  upon 
it  began  to  think. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

I    STEAL    THE    KEYS    OF    THE   PRISOISr 

For  a  long  time  I  lay  thinking  of  the  atavar,  how 
lovely  she  was  and  how  sad  her  fate,  and  I  likened 
her  to  a  rose,  drooping  and  lonely  in  a  desert.  To 
ime  she  seemed  the  one  living  reality  in  a  land  of 
social  petrifaction.  That  was  it  —  social  petrifaction. 
I  could  think  of  no  better  term  to  describe  the  real 
character  of  the  Democracy.  In  its  infatuation  for 
what  it  called  equality  it  had  taken  every  vestige 
of  independence  from  the  individual  units  and  had 
made  the  State  into  a  Frankenstein,  which,  while 
crushing  in  its  grasp  the  souls  of  the  people,  was 
itself  without  a  soul.  I  reflected  on  what  I  had 
already  seen  of  the  country,  and  now  saw  clearly 
why  there  was  little  of  what  we  know  as  crime.  Of 
what  use  was  crime  when  no  man  could  profit  by  it, 
when,  no  matter  what  he  did,  he  could  not  have  more 
food  or  more  clothes  or  enjoy  the  material  comforts 
of  existence  to  any  greater  degree  than  another,  and 
when,  also,  he  could  not  exercise  a  choice  as  to  his 
occupation,   or   even   as   to  his   wife,   and   when   he 

173 


174  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

was  in  no  way  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of 
his  family? 

To  make  men  socially  equal  it  had  been  necessary 
to  take  from  them  every  opportunity  and  means  for 
acquiring  superiority  over  others,  and  the  whole  race 
had  been  placed  on  the  same  dead  level  as  that  which 
obtains  in  our  penitentiaries.  But  while  negative 
virtue  was  thus  widely  established,  positive  virtue 
had  disappeared.  Individual  energy,  ability  and 
ambition  had  been  discouraged  and  stifled  by  the  ab- 
sence of  reward  until  they  no  longer  existed,  and 
sympathy,  charity  and  self-sacrifice  had  become  un- 
known, because  there  was  no  opportunity  for  their 
display.  The  spiritual  in  man  had  ceased  to  be  mani- 
fested, and  it  was  no  wonder  that  the  physical  had 
become  dominant  and  that  the  people  had  sunk  be- 
neath such  vices  as  that  of  the  lethe  weed.  And  now 
behold  nature,  ever  fighting  for  her  rights,  persist- 
ently sending  beings  into  the  world  who  were  liv- 
ing protests  against  the  soul-withering  despotism  of 
the  State. 

"  Let  them  call  them  atavars,  reversals  of  type, 
reincarnations  of  ancient  savages  or  what  they 
please,"  I  muttered  to  myself.  "  Let  them  imprison, 
flay  and  murder  them,  as  the  only  real  criminals  in 
the  community,  yet  so  long  as  there  is  any  vitality 


I  STEAL  KEYS  OF  THE  PRISON      175 

in  the  race  these  beings  must  appear  and  in  the  end 
either  they  will  triumph  over  the  State  or  the  race 
will  die." 

As  I  continued  to  execrate  the  folly  of  social  equahty 
I  had  constantly  before  my  mind  the  beautiful  girl  in 
the  cell  below.  How  could  I  aid  her?  How  could 
I  manage  to  be  with  her?  How  could  I  enter  into 
her  life?  Let  me  be  coldly  critical  of  my  motives. 
It  was  not  merely  to  assist  a  being  in  distress  that 
made  me  so  anxious  to  be  of  service  to  her,  though 
Heaven  knows  no  one  could  have  a  higher  claim  to 
the  chivalry  in  man  than  she.  Since  first  I  saw  her 
it  had  been  my  ever-present  hope  to  find  her,  and 
now  that  I  had  found  her  I  felt  in  no  wise  satisfied. 
I  was  filled  with  a  craving  for  her  presence,  for,  as 
I  told  myself,  it  was  in  the  light  of  her  eyes  and; 
only  there  I  should  find  peace  on  earth.  Thus  was 
my  desire  to  rescue  her  from  the  diabolical  clutches 
of  the  State  joined  with  promptings  for  my  own 
happiness,  and  it  is  always  thus  that  conduct,  deemed 
good  and  praiseworthy,  has  at  bottom  some  selfish 
end. 

But  how  could  I  be  of  any  true  service  to  her,  when, 
if  I  but  showed  a  casual  interest  in  her  cause,  it 
would  be  a  signal  for  my  own  imprisonment,  and 
perhaps   additional   punishment   for  her  to  bear?    I 


176  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

must  make  no  move  or  utterance  in  her  behalf, — 
and  what  else  might  I  do?  I  groaned  at  the  thought 
of  my  helplessness.  Could  I  suborn  the  witch?  No, 
bribery  was  impossible,  for  even  had  I  anything  with 
which  to  bribe,  the  recipient  would  be  unable  to  profit 
by  it.  But  then  the  witch  was  a  different  creature 
from  the  others  —  she  had  a  mind  of  her  own,  an 
evil  mind,  it  was  true,  but  along  with  the  power  of 
independent  thought  must  come  some  weaknesses. 
Could  I  not  find  some  prejudice  or  some  softer  feel- 
ing within  this  hardened  woman  on  which  I  might 
ply  my  wits?  My  judgment  told  me  it  was  a  hope- 
less task.  I  recalled  the  malevolence  that  shone  from 
her  eyes  and  the  mahce  in  her  speech  —  surely  if 
there  were  an  evil  creature  out  of  hell  it  was  this 
woman. 

And  what  did  she  mean  by  bringing  the  girl  and  , 
me  together?  As  I  recalled  her  conduct,  I  could  not 
but  fear  that  some  devilish  motive  inspired  her.  I 
had  been  quietly  watchful,  and  as  I  remembered  the 
ostentation  with  which  she  had  smoked  in  the  early 
part  of  the  evening  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that 
she  had  not  taken  a  second  cheroot,  but  had  managed 
to  make  one  last  the  evening  out.  So,  after  all,  she 
was  not  under  the  influence  of  the  weed !  Here  was 
cunning.     Could    it   be   possible   that    she   had    been 


I  STEAL  KEYS  OF  THE  PRISON       i77 

shrewd  enough  to  detect  my  more  than  passing  in- 
terest in  the  atavar,  and  had  put  me  to  the  test,  in- 
viting me  to  the  prison  and  bringing  me  face  to  face 
with  her,  that  she  might  from  my  conduct  verify  her 
suspicion?  Her  actions  and  words  seemed  to  lend 
support  to  this  conjecture.  If  it  were  true,  she  had 
now  but  to  lead  me  on  to  some  overt  act  to  place 
me  in  her  power,  and  then?  I  saw  my  danger  clear- 
ly and  it  maddened  me  to  think  that,  for  the  girl's 
sake  as  v/ell  as  my  own,  I  dare  not  utter  even  one 
word  of  kindness  to  her,  should  the  witch  bring  us 
again  together.  Then  in  my  despair  I  thought  how 
I  myself  had  locked  her  in  with  the  small  brightly- 
colored  key.  The  key?  Why,  it  was  within  my 
reach ! 

I  jumped  from  the  cot,  and  stealthily  opened  the 
door  into  the  hall.  All  was  silent,  and  I  stepped  out. 
I  listened  attentively  at  the  door  of  the  room  where 
the  Brines  slept,  which  was  directly  opposite  the  re- 
ception-room, and  heard  nothing.  Then  swiftly  I 
made  my  way  to  the  other  door,  opened  it  with 
scarcely  a  sound,  reached  up  to  the  shelf  and  grasped 
the  keys  of  the  prison.  Back  I  flew  to  my  own 
room,  closed  the  door  and  threw  myself  again  upon 
my  bed.  Scarcely  had  I  done  so  when  I  heard  a 
noise  as  of  some  one  walking  in  the  hall,  then  the 


178  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

closing  of  a  door,  and  again  silence.  I  had  narrowly 
escaped  detection  and  breathlessly  I  turned  the  keys 
over  in  my  hands.  For  one  brief  moment  I  enter- 
tained the  wild  design  of  throwing  open  all  the 
prison  doors,  but  a  second  reflection  showed  me  that 
even  if  the  girl  escaped  her  recapture  would  be 
certain.  Then  an  inspiration  came  to  me.  I  saw 
that  if  I  only  had  duplicates  of  the  keys  to  her  cell 
and  to  the  lower  entrance  of  the  prison,  I  should 
have  the  means  at  all  times  in  my  possession  to 
effect  her  release.  Perhaps,  too  —  oh,  precious 
thought! — I  might  even  manage  to  see  her  in  secret! 
But  how  was  I  to  make  two  duplicate  keys?  I  dared 
not  take  the  keys  from  the  bunch,  for  the  old  witch 
would  miss  them.  If  I  only  had  some  wax  or  some 
clay  with  which  to  take  impressions  of  them,  per- 
haps the  doctor  would  find  some  way  of  casting  them. 
I  pondered  on  the  problem  and  then  I  thought  of 
soap.  There  was  none  in  the  room,  but  I  remem- 
bered seeing  a  cake  of  it  near  a  trough  at  the  entrance 
of  the  cell  corridor,  behind  the  iron  grating  in  the 
hall.     T   determined  to  get  it. 

Once  more  I  stole  out  of  the  room  and  then  for 
full  ten  minutes  of  dread  I  worked  with  the  grating, 
trying  one  key  after  another.  At  last  it  opened  and, 
stepping  quickly  into  the  prison  corridor,  I  closed  the 


I  STEAL  KEYS  OF  THE  PRISON       179 

iron  door  behind  me.  Fortune  favored  me  that 
night,  for  I  had  no  more  than  closed  the  door  before 
I  again  heard  the  tread  of  feet  on  the  stone  floor 
of  the  hall.  I  pressed  my  body  against  the  wall  next 
the  grating,  and  there  stood  breathless,  looking  with 
strained  eyes  through  the  bars.  Scarcely  a  moment 
passed  before  the  figure  of  a  man  appeared  at  the 
door.  He  paused  as  though  to  try  the  lock  of  the 
door,  and  then,  casting  a  look  through  the  bars,  turned 
and  walked  deliberately  toward  the  outer  entrance  of 
the  hall.  I  was  greatly  relieved  when  I  saw  it  was 
not  the  witch,  and  as  soon  as  I  heard  him  leave  the 
building  I  hurried  to  the  trough,  which  was  used  by 
the  prisoners  for  the  washing  of  their  hands  and  faces. 
There  was  one  similar  to  it  in  the  dormitory.  It  was, 
in  fact,  one  of  the  necessar}--  appurtenances  of  com- 
munal life,  for  in  the  regimentation  of  mankind  there 
must  be  set  times  for  washing,  as  well  as  for  all 
other  acts,  and  when  many  must  needs  cleanse  them- 
selves at  one  and  the  same  time  nothing  short  of 
troughs  could  avail  for  the  purpose. 

I  took  the  soap  and  quickly  made  two  impres- 
sions, one  of  the  small  key  to  the  cell  and  the  other 
of  the  long  flat  key  with  which  I  had,  at  the  com- 
mand of  the  witch,  unlocked  and  locked  the  door 
at  the  lower  entrance.     I  carefullv  inclosed  mv  molds 


i8o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

of  soap  in  the  waist  of  my  tunic  where  I  could  pro- 
tect them  from  being  crushed,  and  then,  without  hav- 
ing disturbed  a  single  prisoner,  I  went  out  into  the 
hall,  locking  the  grating  after  me.  All  was  still  and 
I  swiftly  returned  the  keys  to  their  shelf.  I  had  al- 
most reached  my  room  again  when  the  outer  door 
was  opened.  I  made  a  rush  and  gained  my  room. 
Then  with  quaking  I  noticed  I  had  left  the  door 
ajar.  I  threw  myself  upon  my  bed  and  feigned 
sleep.  I  heard  every  step  the  man  took  as  with 
deliberation  he  approached  the  door.  Then  he  stopped, 
and  soon  I  saw  his  head  as  he  peered  into  the  room. 
For  a  long  time  he  stood,  as  though  meditating  what 
to  do.  Then,  muttering,  he  turned  away,  shut- 
ting the  door  as  he  went.  I  drew  a  deep  breath  of 
relief  and  placed  the  molds  where  they  would  be  safe 
for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  NEXT   MORNING  AT  THE  PRISON 

On  being  awakened  by  the  morning  bell  I  hastily 
arranged  my  toilet  and  went  out  into  the  hall.  Here 
I  was  astonished  to  hear  voices  in  bitter  quarrel  and 
still  more  astonished  to  discover  that  it  was  the  ami- 
able surgeon  and  his  precious  better-half  who  were 
thus  offending  the  Atlantian  peace.  I  retreated  into 
my  room,  musing  on  the  inadequacy  of  the  compre- 
hensive and  all-powerful  laws  of  the  Democracy  to 
enforce  domestic  felicity.  For  the  surgeon  I  felt  a 
certain  pity,  for  I  was  convinced  he  was  one  of  those 
enthusiasts  who,  for  the  cause  to  which  they  are  at- 
tached, will  sacrifice  even  their  personal  happiness. 
But  I  had  no  such  feeling  for  the  old  witch,  to  whom 
bickering  seemed  only  second  nature. 

When  I  was  called  at  last  to  partake  of  food  with 
them  I  observed  with  sympathy  that  my  host's  nose 
bore  a  bruise  only  recently  inflicted,  and  it  took  no 
prophet  to  see  that  my  hostess  had  resorted  to  physical 
force,  as  well  as  to  tongue  lashing,  in  trying  con- 
clusions  with   her   lord   and  master.    The    circum- 

i8i 


i82  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

stances  were  such  as  to  make  conversation  difficult, 
even  had  it  been  in  some  other  country  than  Atlantis, 
and  the  meal  passed  in  dismal  silence.  But  when  it 
was  finished  the  old  woman  turned  on  me  and  said : 

"  Her  prettiness  has  been  crying.  I  thought  you 
would  like  to  know  it."  There  was  a  malicious  gleam 
in  her  look.  "  I  want  to  tell  you,  too,"  she  continued, 
"  that  I  thought  you  would  like  to  study  more  about 
the  atavars  and  I  have  ordered  her  presence  in  the 
leception-room." 

We  soon  proceeded  to  the  room  and  found  the  girl 
awaiting  us.  She  greeted  me  with  a  little  smile,  and  I 
stood  lost  in  admiration.  Her  face  was  pale,  but  this 
I  thought  added  to  her  charm.  Her  luxuriant  hair 
was  loosely  coiled  in  a  becoming  manner,  and  she 
wore  a  neat-fitting  gown  in  place  of  the  common  garb. 
There  was  an  air  of  refinement  and  innocence  about 
her  conjoined  with  a  certain  reserve  against  which  the 
natural  impulsiveness  of  girlhood  seemed  constantly  to 
struggle.  While  I  continued  to  gaze  captivated  I  heard 
the  old  witch  exclaim: 

"  Don't  be  backward  but  ask  her  any  questions 
you  wish." 

Carefully  weighing  my  words,  I  said : 

"  Young  lady,  I  am  from  a  country  above  the 
waters  of  the  sea,  and  your  guardian,  desirous  that  I 


NEXT  MORNING  AT  THE  PRISON     183 

should  become  familiar  with  the  institutions  of  this 
land,  has  asked  your  presence  here  that  I  might  meet 
one  of  her  charges." 

The  girl's  face  lighted  and  in  a  sweet  voice  she 
exclaimed : 

"  Then  you  came  from  Heaven  where  love  reigns. 
I  have  read  of  it  in  the  books.  Oh,  I  shall  be  so 
glad  to  talk  with  you !  " 

I  was  sorely  puzzled  as  to  how  to  proceed  in  the 
presence  of  the  old  woman.  Confident,  however,  that 
the  time  would  come  when  I  should  be  able  to  meet 
the  girl  alone  I  mastered  my  inclinations  and  spoke 
only  vaguely  of  America  as  of  something  afar  off. 
During  the  conversation  I  asked  her  if  she  was  an 
atavar  from  choice.  It  was  a  crude  question,  but  I 
saw  I  must  make  a  try  at  cross-examination. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  girl,  "  I  am  an  atavar  from 
choice  and  should  think  you  would  also  become  one. 
In  Atlantis  it  is  only  within  prison  walls  that  you 
may  think  and  act  according  to  your  nature.  Free- 
dom in  this  land  means  the  crushing  of  all  the  finer 
sentiments  of  the  soul,  but  here  in  this  prison  I  may 
give  vent  to  my  thoughts  without  constraint  and 
partly  satisfy  my  yearning  for  knowledge  and  for 
what  is  beautiful." 

I  turned  to  the  old  woman: 


i84  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Come,"  said  I  abruptly,  "  I  have  talked  enough." 

I  could  no  longer  trust  myself  to  play  an  indiffer- 
ent role,  and  though  the  girl  turned  a  look  of  inquiry 
and  surprise  on  me,  I  strode  from  the  room.  The 
old  dame  followed  and  chuckled  as  she  walked. 

"  So  I  see,"  she  said,  "  you  do  not  like  to  talk 
in  my  presence.  I  noticed,  too,  that  you  did  not 
rebuke  her  sentiments  when  she  acknowledged  herself 
an  atavar.  But  I  suppose  we  must  expect  young  men 
to  be  indulgent  to  pretty  girls,  eh?  Do  you  know 
what  my  husband  says?  He  says  it  is  not  right  to 
tempt  young  people  too  far.  But  I  know  you  are 
wise  and  strong  and  will  fly  from  temptation."  She 
paused  and  giving  me  a  honeyed  look,  continued: 
"  I  have  a  fancy  for  you,  young  man,  and  I  want 
you  to  come  to  my  asylum  whenever  and  as  often  as 
you  feel  disposed.  You  will  come  often,  will  you 
not?" 

I  answered  politely  that  I  should  be  pleased  to 
visit  her  whenever  I  felt  like  it.  With  this  ambiguous 
reply  and  without  unnecessary  ceremony  I  left  her 
and  returned  to  the  dormitory. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  DOCTOR  TALKS  ABOUT  ATAVARS 

I  found  the  doctor  in  his  laboratory  and  recounted 
to  him  all  that  had  occurred  at  the  prison.  He  lis- 
tened with  deep  interest,  and  when  I  spoke  of  the 
charms  of  the  girl  he  smiled  indulgently  and  said: 

"  I  fear,  my  dear  friend,  you  have  a  malady  for 
which  none  of  my  prescriptions  will  avail.  But  you 
may  rely  on  me  to  assist  you,  and  even  though  it  cost 
me  my  life  I  am  subject  to  your  commands  at  any 
time." 

It  was  good  to  feel  the  pressure  of  his  hand  and 
to  know  that  I  had  found  at  least  one  true  friend 
in  the  under  world.  I  handed  him  my  soap  molds, 
and  he  there  and  then  proceeded  to  make  the  keys 
I  desired.  I  was  surprised  to  see  how  well  supplied 
he  was  with  tools  and  with  what  dexterity  he  handled 
them. 

"  Doctor,"  I  said,  "  for  an  Atlantide  you  are  a  ma- 
gician.   Are  all  the  State  physicians  as  expert?" 

"  I  can't  say  they  are,"  he  replied  in  a  regretful 
tone.     "The  most  of  these  tools  I  made  myself.     I 

i8s 


i86  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

got  my  ideas  from  my  reading,  but  I  venture  to 
say  there  are  very  few  men  in  Atlantis  who  would 
know  what  many  of  these  things  are,  to  say  nothing  of 
being  able  to  use  them.  I  sometimes  wonder  I  am 
not  accused  of  heresy  or  something  as  bad  because 
of  the  contents  of  my  laboratory,  but  the  departments 
of  State  have  found  that  I  could  be  quite  useful  to 
them  at  times  on  account  of  my  knowledge  of  the 
ancient  books,  saving  them  much  irksome  labor,  and 
they  have  been  pleased  to  look  on  my  experiment- 
ing as  harmless.  It  was  because  of  my  supposed 
learning  that  they  made  me  your  teacher  respecting 
the   laws   and   institutions  of  the  country." 

"  So  even  the  Democracy,"  I  said,  "  finds  it  handy 
to  have  the  services  of  a  man  who  knows  more  than 
is  taught  in  the  regular  schools?  It  is  a  wonder 
to  me  they  do  not  avail  themselves  at  times  of  the 
ability  and  learning  of  the  atavars,  for,  from  v/hat 
I  saw  last  night,  I  judge  that  there  must  be  some 
capable  persons  among  them." 

"  Quite  so,"  was  the  reply.  "  Once  in  a  while, 
though  only  when  they  are  driven  to  it  by  some 
threatened  calamity,  they  seek  counsel  of  the  wisest 
of  the  atavars.  Some  of  these  poor  beings  receive 
the  best  of  care,  merely  because  of  their  known  value 
in  cases  of  State  emergency.    But  the  majority  either 


DOCTOR  TALKS  ABOUT  ATAVARS  187 

die  in  prison,  or  their  spirits  are  crushed  into  sub- 
mission to  the  laws.  The  remainder  become  victims 
of  capital  punishment." 

"  I  believe  I  begin  to  understand  your  country 
more  thoroughly  than  I  did,"  I  said.  "  In  every  land 
the  majority  of  men  are  followers  and  not  leaders. 
The  majority  think  little  on  their  own  account,  and 
look  to  political  leaders  and  public  teachers  for  their 
ideas  on  government  and  morals.  It  is  only  the  com- 
parative few  who  have  the  ability  to  impress  their 
thoughts  and  personality  on  the  public,  and  when 
they  do  this  they  secure  a  following  and  become  lead- 
ers. Here  in  Atlantis  those  who  are  endowed  with 
the  power  of  independent  thought  are  thrown  into 
prison  and  execrated  as  atavars,  unless,  forsooth,  they 
hold  their  tongues  as  you  have  done,  and  pretend  an 
acquiescence  in  the  Democracy.  The  majority,  dom- 
inated more  by  the  physical  than  by  the  intellectual, 
are  kept  in  ignorance,  and  with  the  assistance  of  the 
lethe  poison  become  good  citizens  of  the  State.  It 
is  a  remarkable  system  of  government,  and  the  only 
approach  to  it  on  the  earth  among  civilized  peoples 
at  the  present  time  is,  I  believe,  the  government  of 
Russia." 

"Is  that  a  State  socialism?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"  No,  it  is  an  autocracy  or  rather  a  bureaucracy, 


i88  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

but  the  only  difference  between  it  and  State  socialism 
is  that  it  is  a  despotism  of  one  man  and  his  bureaus 
while  State  socialism  is  an  ossified  despotism  of 
laws.  In  both,  the  individual  possesses  no  rights 
which  the  State  need  respect." 

After  a  pause  I  added: 

"  I  have  yet  to  learn  the  method  by  which  your 
laws  are  placed  on  the  statute  books,  seeing  that 
you  do  not  have  any  elections,  and  all  occupations, 
including  even  that  of  legislator,  are  determined  by 
chance." 

*'  You  will  learn  all  that  in  due  time,"  replied  my 
friend. 

He  continued  to  work  at  the  keys.  I  gazed  at 
the  rows  of  file  cases  that  reached  to  the  ceiling  and 
now  remarked : 

"  The  Democracy  reduces  the  science  of  medicine 
to  a  system,  I  see." 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  any  one  can  be  a  doctor 
or  a  metallurgist  or  a  civil  engineer  or  any  sort  of 
professional  man  in  Atlantis.  It's  the  simplest  thing 
in  the  world.  For  example,  if  you  have  a  backache, 
your  doctor  turns  to  File  B  — '  b '  for  backache  you 
know  —  and  he  opens  the  book  and  runs  his  eye  down 
until  he  comes  to  the  paragraph  on  backache." 

The  doctor  stopped  his  work  long  enough  to  pull 


DOCTOR  TALKS  ABOUT  ATAVARS  189 

down  File  B  and  show  it  to  me.  Opposite  the  word 
backache  the  book  said,  "  Prescription  No.  46795." 

"  All  you  have  to  do  now  is  to  run  your  eye  along 
the  numbers  in  the  prescription  files  and  pull  down 
the  case  which  contains  No.  46795." 

I  did  as  directed  and  soon  had  in  my  hands  the 
prescription  for  backache.  It  named  certain  mate- 
rials and  told  how  to  mix  them. 

"  There  the  materials  are,"  continued  the  doctor, 
pointing  to  some  shelves  of  bottles.  "  They  are  all 
labeled.  A  child  can  fill  the  prescription.  It  is  a 
beautiful  system  —  it  saves  so  much  trouble  in  learn- 
ing about  the  bones  in  the  body  and  the  nerves  and 
muscles  and  arteries.  I  have  seen  some  doctors  who 
do  not  even  imagine  there  are  such  things  as  livers 
and  kidneys,  and  they  have  only  the  vaguest  notions 
as  to  the  heart  and  stomach.  The  patients,  you 
know,  have  no  choice  as  to  doctors  and  must  take 
their  medicine  whether  it  kills  or  cures.  My  pro- 
fession is  a  farce,  simply  a  farce." 

He  sighed  and  added :  "  But  as  for  me  I  use  these 
file-cases  more  as  a  blind  than  as  sources  of  informa- 
tion. This  laboratory  is  my  refuge,  and  here  I  pass  all 
the  time  I  can,  secretly  experimenting  with  the  ele- 
ments of  nature." 


CHAPTER  XX 

MY   SECRET    MEETING    WITH    ASTR^A 

I  was  very  impatient  to  test  the  value  of  the  new- 
made  keys,  but  the  doctor  insisted  on  my  waiting 
until  the  smoke-time.  It  was  true  the  departments 
of  State  had  given  us  carte  blanche  to  come  and  go 
as  we  pleased,  but  while  this  spoke  highly  of  the 
confidence  reposed  in  the  doctor,  it  also  aitorded  ^ 
the  inspectors  excellent  opportunities  to  study  my 
characteristics.  It  seems  I  was  regarded  as  a  child, 
who  had  suddenly  been  called  on  to  learn  what, 
in  the  ordinary  course  of  events,  took  years  to  absorb, 
and  as  it  was  necessary  to  note  my  progress  in  imbib- 
ing a  wholesome  respect  for  the  laws,  I  was  almost 
constantly  under  surveillance  when  I  left  the  dor- 
mitory. The  doctor  now  argued  that  while  I  might 
proceed  in  the  working  hours  as  far  as  the  prison 
without  molestation,  yet  I  should  certainly  be  ar- 
rested the  moment  I  attempted  to  use  the  keys.  But 
during  the  smoke-time,  he  stated,  the  case  was 
different,  for  then  the  vigilance  of  the  departments 
was  much  relaxed. 

190 


SECRET  MEETING  WITH  ASTR^A    191 

"  Although    there    are    night    inspectors,"   he    con- 
tinued, "  yet  they  are  comparatively  few  in  number 
and  for  the  most  part  consist  of  the  aged,  the  feeble, 
the  lame  and  those  defective  in  eye  or  ear.     When 
the  subjects  of  the  State  are  immersed  in  the  joys 
of  the  weed  the  likelihood  of  crime  is  reduced  to  a 
minimum,    and   the   patroling   of    deserted   streets   is 
particularly  looked  on  as  a  useless  precaution.     Those 
who  are  unfit  for  active  work  are  therefore  placed  in  a 
separate  class,  and  arbitrarily  assigned  to  this  per- 
functory employment." 

The  good  man  had  already,  in  a  number  of  m- 
stances,  prevented  my  committing  indiscretions  that 
mi.-ht  have  led  to  my  condemnation  as  a  savage  unfit 
for'' the  society  of  civilized  beings,  and,  impressed  by 
his  a'-o-ument,  I  now  curbed  my  impatience  and  bided 
r.y  time  until  evening.     Still,  I  knew  that  the  enter- 
prise even  in  the  smoke-time  would  not  be  without 
its  dangers,  and  my  mind  one  minute  was  filled  with 
dark  forebodings,  while  the  next  I  was  unreasonably 
exultant      Then  I   would   fall  into  deep  abstractions 
anticipating   the    pleasure    of   talking   with    the    girl 
alone,  and  composing  and  rehearsing  what  I  should 
say  to  her.     The  doctor  bore  kindly  with  my  chang- 
ing moods,  listening  with   sympathetic  ear  to  all   I 
ha"d  to  say  and  respecting  my  silence  when  I  did  not 


192  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

speak.  When  at  last  the  time  arrived  for  venturing 
forth,  he  volunteered  to  accompany  me,  and  I  ac- 
cepted his  companionship  with  thanks. 

We  left  the  dormitory  ostensibly  for  a  stroll  be- 
neath the  pillared  dome,  but,  fearing  that  special  in- 
spectors might  have  been  detailed  to  watch  us,  we 
took  the  precaution  of  making  a  wide  detour  that 
we  might  detect  their  presence  if  any  there  were. 
The  streets,  however,  were  deserted,  save  for  an  oc- 
casional night  inspvector,  who,  with  labored  effort 
or  listless  gait,  went  on  his  way.  It  seemed  as 
though  we  were  pilgrims  visiting  some  mighty  sepul- 
cher,  so  silent  and   desolate  was  the  scene. 

Satisfied  at  last  that  we  were  not  followed,  we  bent 
our  course  direct  to  the  prison.  We  crept  into  the 
passageway  leading  to  the  lower  entrance  of  the  place 
without  being  seen  by  any  of  the  guard,  and  the 
doctor  picked  for  himself  a  point  of  vantage  where, 
concealed  by  the  shadow  of  the  wall,  he  could  com- 
mand a  view  of  the  street  and  also  of  the  prison 
door.  I  took  the  keys  from  the  folds  of  my  tunic 
and  with  beating  heart  proceeded  to  the  iron  grat- 
ing, into  the  lock  of  which  I  inserted  the  larger  key. 
Slowly  the  lock  responded,  and  with  ears  alert  I  pulled 
open  the  door,  exposing  to  view  the  long  and  silent 
corridor.     Quickly  and  noiselessly  I  ran  to  the  cell  of 


SECRET  MEETING  WITH  ASTILEA    193 

the  girl.  She  was  reading  a  book  and  I  gently  tapped 
the  iron  grating.  She  glanced  up  startled,  but  with 
a  gesture  I  checked  the  exclamation  on  her  lips. 
To  unlock  the  cell  was  the  work  of  but  a  moment, 
and  I  beckoned  her  to  come.  She  stood  for  a  second 
the  picture  of  amazement  and  then,  looking  appeal- 
ingly  and  searchingly  into  my  eyes,  she  moved  to- 
ward me,  and,  taking  her  hand,  I  led  her  from  the 
prison,  closing  both  the  doors  behind  us. 

When  we  stood  in  the  dark  passageway  beneath 
the  starry  vault  I  felt  her  hand  tremble,  but  she 
made  no  effort  to  withdraw  it  from  mine.  Deep  emo- 
tion mastered  me,  and  it  seemed  as  though  it  was 
not  I  who  was  holding  her  hand,  but  she  who  was 
holding  mine.  Gently  I  did  my  best  to  reassure 
her: 

"  Do  not  be  afraid.  I  have  done  this  that  we  might 
talk  together  alone." 

With  this  I  lifted  her  hand  to  my  lips  and  kissed 
it. 

"  I  shall  call  you  Astrasa,"  I  continued.  "  Astrsea 
was  the  last  goddess  from  Heaven  to  visit  the  earth, 
and  you  are  the  last  goddess  to  come  to  Atlantis." 

With  renevv-ed  confidence  she  took  my  other  hand 
and,  standing  before  me  with  both  our  hands  clasped 
together,  like  children,  she  uttered  these  words: 


194  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Oh,  that  the  State  would  give  me  you  for  my 
husband ! " 

I  beheve  that  there  is  in  every  man's  memory  som,e 
sacred  chamber  which  he  locks  from  the  too  close 
scrutiny  of  the  world,  and  now  I  will  drop  the  curtain 
on  this,  the  supreme  hour  of  my  hfe.  Many  and 
many  a  time  have  I  looked  back  on  it  in  the  years 
that  have  flown,  and  its  memory  has  never  failed  to 
exert  an  influence  for  good  over  all  my  acts.  When 
I  have  been  sorely  tried  it  has  come  into  my 
thoughts  to  lift  my  mind  beyond  the  sordid  things 
of  life,  and  in  my  triumphs  it  has  comfe  to  chasten 
me.  From  that  hour  dates  my  better  manhood, 
which  has  given  me  the  strength  to  accomplish  that 
which  came  to  my  lot  to  do.  Truly  is  that  man  blessed 
who  resolves  to  cherish  and  protect  some  worthy 
woman,  the  noblest  work  of  God,  and  he  that  does 
not  lives  his  life  in  vain. 

It  was  the  good  doctor  who  brought  us  again  to 
a  realization  of  earthly  affairs.  He  had  patiently 
stood  minute  after  minute,  anxiously  peering  into 
the  night.  Twice  an  inspector  had  passed  along  the 
street  within  a  few  spaces  of  the  passageway,  and 
he  had  given  no  sign.  But  at  last  he  began  to  fear 
that  the  lethe-time  was  nearing  an  end,  and  he  gave 
a  low  whistle,  a  preconcerted  signal.     With  slow  re- 


SECRET  MEETING  WITH  ASTR^A    195 

luctance  I  led  my  Astraea  back  into  her  cell,  where, 
kissing  her  in  sweet  farewell,  I  left  her. 

The  doctor  and  I  regained  the  dormitory  in  safety, 
and  for  once  the  great  Democracy,  with  its  million 
eyes,  saw  not  and  knew  not  that  the  most  important 
of  all  its  laws  —  that  of  State  regulation  of  the  affairs 
of  the  heart  —  had  been  ruthlessly  set  at  naught. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

ASTR^lA   TELLS    ME   HER   LIFE   STORY 

The  next  evening  the  doctor  and  I  again  ventured 
forth  with  the  hospital  as  our  destination.  The  good 
man  remonstrated  strongly  against  what  he  was 
pleased  to  term  the  folly  of  a  madman.  He  de- 
clared that  I  was  flying  in  the  face  of  Providence, 
and  that  he  had  no  doubt  that  the  three  of  us,  the 
girl,  himself  and  I,  would  in  the  end  be  thrown  to 
the  kraken.  I  urged  him  to  remain  at  the  dormitory, 
as  I  did  not  wish  to  feel  the  responsibility  of  getting 
him  into  trouble,  should  such  be  the  issue  of  my 
visits  to  the  prison,  but  to  this  he  would  not  listen, 
and,  seeing  I  was  immovable  in  my  purpose,  he  put 
aside  his  fears  and  went  with  me.  As  a  concession 
to  his  pleading  I  agreed  to  arrange  with  Astrsea  to 
see  her  every  third  night  instead  of  every  night.  He 
asked  that  I  rrfake  it  once  a  month,  but  I  would 
not  think  of  it.  I  insisted  that  I  had  already  gone 
too  far  by  way  of  compromise,  and  with  this  he  had 
to  content  himself. 

That  night  I  introduced  him  to  Astrasa,  and  she 
ig6 


ASTR/EA  TELLS  HER  LIFE  STORY    197 

naively  told  him  she  liked  him  much  better  for  a 
chaperon  than  she  did  the  old  woman.  He  smiled 
and  then  gazing  earnestly  at  her  said : 

"  You  remind  me  of  a  picture  that  hangs  in  the 
Hall  of  Curiosities,  Our  friend  here  knows  the  pic- 
ture. You  also  remind  me," — and  his  voice  choked 
as  with  some  great  emotion, — "  of  a  girl  whom  I 
once  knew  and  whom  I  met  in  secret,  as  you  two  are 
meeting  now." 

Astrsea  held  out  her  hand  to  him,  and  he  took 
it  in  one  of  his  in  a  clasp  of  sympathy. 

"  And  where  is  she  now  ? "  she  softly  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  he  said  in  a  trembling  voice. 
"  She  is  lost  to  me  —  they  took  her  away  from  me 
and  gave  her  to  another." 

We  were  all  deeply  affected. 

"  The  State  is  cruel,  cruel !  "  cried  Astrsea.  "  But 
you  loved  her,  and  the  memory  of  her  must  be  dear 
to  you.  And  perhaps,  who  knows  ?  —  in  some  better 
world  you  may  meet  her  and  be  happy  again." 

The  doctor  recovered  himself  and  replied : 

"  Let  me  not  cast  a  shadow  on  yoiir  happiness.  I 
pray  that  the  Supreme  Spirit  will  guard  and  protect 
you."  With  that  he  relinquished  her  hand  into  mine 
and  walked  away  to  take  his  post  as  sentinel. 

Astrsea  told  me  that  night  her  history.     It  was  a 


198  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

short  and  pitiable  story  of  neglect  and  hardship. 
Though  she  was  now  twenty-two  years  of  age  she  had 
seen  practically  nothing  of  the  world,  having  been 
immured  in  one  kind  of  an  institution  or  another  all 
her  life. 

"  I  can  not  recall  either  my  father  or  mother,"  she 
said,  to  my  questioning,  "  and  the  earliest  experiences 
of  my  childhood  are  associated  with  the  public  nur- 
sery." 

"  The  public  nursery  ?     Tell  me  about  it." 

"  That's   where  the  infants  are  cared  for.'* 

"  I  know,"  I  said. 

"  They  are  brought  there  before  they  can  walk  or 
talk  and  many  of  them  scarcely  know  how  to  eat," 
she  continued.  "  You  should  see  them,  hundreds  and 
hundreds  of  them  ranged  in  rows  on  long  narrow  beds. 
Once  a  day  they  are  washed  and  their  gruel  is  given 
them  at  stated  intervals.  But  the  nurses  waste  no 
more  attention  on  them  than  what  the  law  requires. 
They  are  deaf  to  their  crying  and  do  not  take  them  in 
their  arms  or  fondle  them.  I  remember  very  little 
of  my  own  nursery  days.  The  first  recollection  I  have 
is  of  crying  very  bitterly  when  a  woman  filled  my 
mouth  with  a  cloth,  nearly  choking  me.  I  can  still 
recall  the  harsh  features  of  that  woman's  face." 

When  the  children  were  seven  years  old  they  were 


ASTILEA  TELLS  HER  LIFE  STORY    199 

turned  out  of  the  nursery-hoppers,  Hke  chickens  from, 
incubators,  and  sent  to  institutions  resembling  our  or- 
phan asylums,  only  they  were  conducted  on  a  much 
larger  scale.  The  boys  and  girls  were  separated,  but 
female  martinets  with  hard  countenances  and  harder 
hearts  held  the  reins  of  authority  over  both.  The  in- 
stitutions were  in  fact  disciplinary  mills  to  grind  the 
children  into  docile  subjects  of  the  State.  The  code 
of  rules  was  so  elaborate  that  the  simplest  actions  of 
the  child  were  made  to  conform  to  fixed  standards, 
and  none  could  hope  to  escape  the  brutal  punishments 
meted  out  for  even  trifling  lapses  in  obedience.  In 
America  it  has  been  noticed  that  pupils  attending  the 
same  public  schools  frequently  acquire  similar  man- 
nerisms of  action  and  speech,  and  the  school  system 
has  been  criticized  for  its  tendency  to  bend  the  minds 
of  the  young  all  in  the  same  direction.  Though  this 
tendency  is  more  than  counteracted  by  parental  and 
social  influences  that  tell  for  individuality,  yet  it  in- 
dicates the  effect  of  education  and  training  by  whole- 
sale methods.  In  Atlantis,  where  the  government  was 
the  foster  parent  as  well  as  the  instructor,  the  art  of 
molding  the  future  citizens  all  on  the  same  pattern  was 
developed  to  perfection.  That  the  spirits  of  the  chil- 
dren were  crushed  may  be  judged  from  some  of  As- 
tr^a's  remarks. 


200  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  It  was  a  dire  offense  to  cry,"  she  said.  "  We  did 
not  dare  to  say  we  were  hungry.  We  had  to  go  to  bed 
at  a  fixed  time  and  if  we  complained  of  being  sleepy 
when  told  to  get  up  we  were  made  to  go  without 
breakfast.  The  food  was  often  bad,  and  we  went  un- 
washed and  our  clothes  were  dirty  and  ragged.  Even 
when  the  children  became  sick  they  were  neglected, 
and  many  of  them  died.  The  attendants  became  very 
angry  if  we  disturbed  them.  I  remember  that  once  a 
little  girl  was  put  into  a  dark  closet  for  annoying  the 
matron  by  her  play.  The  matron  forgot  her  and  when 
the  closet  was  opened  several  days  after  she  was  found 
dead.  No  one  took  the  trouble  to  tell  us  stories  or 
amuse  us  and  we  were  whipped  if  we  asked  ques- 
tions. When  I  was  ten  years  old  I  was  sent  an  hour 
each  day  to  a  school-room  in  the  building  where  I 
learned  the  alphabet  and  the  catechism.  The  teacher 
scolded  us  severely  and  did  not  seem  to  care  whether 
we  learned  anything  outside  the  catechism." 

"  What  was  the  catechism  ?  " 

"  It  was  a  large  book  and  we  were  compelled  to 
learn  it  by  heart.  Every  day  we  were  made  to  recite 
long  quotations  from  it.  I  can  still  repeat  it  word 
for  word." 

Being  urged  she  recited  a  number  of  paragraphs, 
among  which  I  remember  the  following: 


ASTILEA  TELLS  HER  LIFE  STORY    201 

Question:  What  is  the  first  and  greatest  requisite 
for  citizenship? 

Answer:     Obedience  to  the  State. 

Question:     Can  the  State  ever  be  wrong? 

Answer:     It  can  not. 

Question  :    Why  should  the  State  be  obeyed  ? 

Answer :  It  gives  the  citizen  his  food,  and  his 
clothing,  it  supplies  him  with  a  place  to  sleep,  and 
it  keeps  him  from  committing  error.  It  is  his  mother 
and  his  guardian  through  life  and  is  ever  solicitous 
for  his  well-being. 

Question:  Should  the  citizen  be  dissatisfied  or 
place  his  judgment  against  that  of  the  State? 

Answer:  No,  and  for  the  reason  that  the  judgment 
of  the  individual  is  often  faulty,  while  the  judgment 
of  the  State,  being  the  composite  judgment  of  all,  is 
the  highest  attainable  wisdom.  The  reasoning  of  the 
individual  is  colored  by  selfish  considerations,  while 
that  of  the  State  is  purely  impersonal  and  dictated 
by  considerations  for  the  common  good.  It  is  a 
grave  crime  to  criticize  the  State,  its  laws  or  its  de- 
cisions, for  in  making  such  criticism  the  citizen  de- 
clares himself  the  enemy  of  his  brothers  and  must  be 
punished  accordingly. 

"  The  catechism,"  said  Astraea,  "  continued  page 
after  page  to  extol  the  State  and  to  teach  self-depre- 


202  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ciation.  The  leading  offenses  were  set  forth  and 
their  punishment  stated.  The  condition  of  savagery, 
when  the  individual  did  as  he  pleased  and  chaos 
existed  in  the  relations  of  man,  was  depicted  and 
compared  to  that  of  the  present  socialistic  state,  when 
equality  is  rigidly  assured  to  every  citizen.  The  ef- 
fect of  its  teachings  inspired  an  awe  of  the  State, 
and  a  blind  faith  in  its  justice,  beneficence  and  in- 
fallibility. Even  I,  who  have  no  reason  to  love  so- 
cialism, am  still  partly  under  the  influence  of  those 
ideas  drilled  into  my  mind  when  it  was  in  its  most 
receptive  state." 

When  Astrsea  was  fourteen  she  was  taken  to  a 
young  women's  dormitory,  where  there  were  several 
hundred  girls.  The  rules  for  their  government  were 
many  and  strict.  Every  morning  they  were  required 
to  go  to  a  great  factory  where,  with  thousands  of 
others,  they  cut  out  and  sewed  garments  for  ten 
hours  a  day.  Women  were  not  regarded  as  citizens 
until  they  were  married  and  the  law  as  to  the  allot- 
ment of  occupations  did  not  apply  to  them.  Being 
helpless  wards  it  was  easy  to  saddle  them  with  work 
and  they  were  whipped  and  humiliated  if  they  did 
not  labor  hard  and  diligently. 

"Did  you  have  no  enjoyments?"  T  asked  Astrsea. 

"  I  hardly  know  what  you  mean  by  enjoyments," 


ASTILEA  TELLS  HER  LIFE  STORY    203 

she  replied.  "  We  were  not,  except  at  rare  intervals, 
allowed  to  go  out  into  the  city,  and  when  we  did  go 
we  had  to  march  in  pairs  under  the  eyes  of  the  ma- 
tron and  attendants.  Young  men  were  not  permitted 
to  see  us,  and  the  evenings  were  passed  in  the  as- 
sembly-room, where  we  were  encouraged  to  smoke. 
But  the  lethe  weed  always  seemed  vile  to  me,  and 
I  would  not  acquire  the  habit.  I  also  began  to  pine  for 
more  freedom,  and  my  disposition  became,  I  fear,  none 
of  the  best.  I  discovered  that  I  was  being  closely 
watched,  but  I  did  not  care.  One  day  one  of  my 
companions,  in  whom  I  felt  an  interest,  was  shame- 
fully whipped  for  not  working  fast  enough.  I  knew 
she  was  sick,  and  I  openly  accused  the  overseer  with 
cruelty.  There  was  a  scene  and  I  was  arrested  and 
tried.  All  my  shortcomings  in  the  past  were  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  judge  and  I  was  declared  to 
have  symptoms  of  insanity.  I  was  then  removed  to 
this  hospital,  where   I  have  since   remained." 

"And   your  life   in   the  prison?"   I   asked. 

"  I  believe,"  she  continued,  "  that  I  have  been 
happier  here  than  m  the  dormitory.  When  I  first 
came  I  was  told  that  if  I  conducted  myself  as  others 
did  in  the  world  I  might  hope  in  time  to  be  given 
in  marriage  and  released  from  prison.  At  first 
I  bewailed  my  lot,  and  tried  by  my  conduct  to  prove 


204  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

I  was  sane,  but  we  were  frequently  tempted  to  do 
things  which  it  is  not  considered  proper  for  women 
to  do.  For  instance,  books  were  placed  within  our 
reach,  and  if  we  were  found  reading  them  it  was 
counted  against  us,  as  showing  the  perversity  of  our 
disposition.  Not  knowing  what  else  to  do  I  yielded, 
and  in  time  became  much  more  enamored  of  my  read- 
ing than  I  did  of  my  desire  for  freedom.  But  I 
was  not  regarded  as  a  confirmed  atavar  until  I  spoke 
for  the  boy  in  the  court-room,  and  now  I  am  an  in- 
mate of  one  of  the  cells  allotted  to  the  incurables." 

She  spoke  as  though  there  were  nothing  extraordi- 
nary in  her  narrative,  but  to  me  it  was  the  worst  ar- 
raignment of  the  State  I  had  yet  heard.  I  could  not 
find  language  strong  enough  to  express  my  opinion 
of  a  country  that  could  be  so  cruel  to  the  young. 
She  listened  to  me  m  some  amazement,  but  I  could 
see  she  was  not  displeased. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  "  you  are  a  greater  atavar  than 
I!" 

I  told  her  how  none  but  the  basest  on  the  earth 
would  mistreat  children  and  young  women,  and  it 
seemed  she  would  never  tire  of  my  descriptions  of 
family  life.  The  loving  care  of  mother  and  father 
for  their  children  was  to  her  a  beautiful  dream,  v/liich 
she    could   hardly   realize    as    actually    existing    any- 


ASTRyEA  TELLS  HER  LIFE  STORY    205 

where  in  the  world.  Then  I  spoke  about  the  free- 
dom enjoyed  by  children  and  the  games  they  played 
and  how  they  were  educated  to  be  true  men  and  wom- 
en. Many  other  things  I  talked  of  and  no  man  ever 
had  a  more  eager  or  a  more  delightful  listener.  The 
hour  swiftly  passed  and  at  last,  the  doctor  giving  his 
signal,  we  were  compelled  to  part ;  but  before  doing 
so  I  briefly  told  her  of  my  hopes  of  escaping  from 
Atlantis  and  taking  her  with  me.  At  this  she  was 
transported  with  joy,  and  she  said  she  had  every 
faith  in  my  being  able  to  find  some  way  of  carrying 
out  my  purpose. 

"  I  am  ready,"  she  said,  "  to  go  with  you  at  any 
time,  no  matter  where.  Even  though  it  means  our 
death,  yet  will  I  go.  I  can  not  tell  you  how  happy 
I  have  been  since  you  came  last  night.  God  is  merci- 
ful to  send  you  into  my  life,  and  something  keeps 
telling  me  that  my  happiness  will  prove,  not  like  a 
pleasant  dream,  no  sooner  come  than  gone,  but  like  the 
dawn  of  which  you  speak  that  is  the  herald  of  glorious 
day." 

The  doctor  was  compelled  to  signal  twice  before 
we  parted. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  doctor's    hatred  FOR   THE  DEFUNCT  FEDERATION" 
OF  LABOR 

I  am  afraid  I  was  a  serious  trial  to  the  doctor  for 
the  next  three  days,  but  if  I  was  he  gave  no  sign 
to  indicate  it,  except  that  he  redoubled  his  zeal  in 
watching  over  me,  that  I  might  not  incur  the  sus- 
picion of  the  inspectors.  Meanwhile,  he  evinced  such 
a  sincere  interest  in  my  confidences  respecting  Astrasa 
that  all  my  natural  reserve  was  melted  and  I  opened 
my  heart  more  to  him  than  I  ever  dreamed  I  would 
to  any  man.  But,  far  from  being  wearied  with  my 
talk,  it  seemed  to  fill  him  with  gratitude,  and  the 
truth  was,  perhaps,  that  it  was  one  of  the  deepest 
pleasures  of  his  whole  life  to  be  able  to  converse  with 
me  as  he  never  before  dared  to  do  with  any  living 
being.  After  all,  was  it  strange  he  should  crave  an 
outlet  for  emotions  and  thoughts  which  had  been 
pent  up  for  years  within  his  breast? 

I  remember  that  once  he  seemed  to  give  me  some 
hint  as  to  how  he  felt  when  he  said: 

"Atlantis  is  dying  for  the  want  of  love,  of  generos- 
206 


THE  DOCTOR'S  HATRED  207 

ity,  of  kindly  feeling  one  to  another.  The  people  are 
no  longer  human  beings  —  they  are  beasts.  Yes, 
worse  than  beasts,  for  the  animals  have  hearts,  and 
the  human  heart  has  withered  up  and  died.  The 
Democracy  has  established  equality,  but  it  has  also 
murdered  the  soul  —  what  you  see  about  you  is  the 
equality  that  reigns  among  the  dead." 

Then  at  another  time  he  said: 

"  You  have  told  me  so  much  about  life  on  the 
earth's  surface  that  I  can  realize  the  contrasts  between 
existence  there  and  here.  There  men  are  compelled 
to  work  out  their  own  salvation,  to  carve  their  own 
destiny,  but  this  is  a  blessing  and  not  a  hardship  for 
them.  Why  do  men  live  if  not  to  prepare  themselves 
for  another  and  higher  life?  The  struggle  in  which 
they  engage,  where  all  are  free,  develops  those  faculties 
of  mind  which  lift  them  above  the  brute  creation. 
Though  some  may  obtain  more  material  comfort 
than  others,  yet  none  starves,  and  the  strong  learn 
to  be  charitable  to  the  weak,  while  those  without  vir- 
tue incur  the  contempt  of  their  fellow  beings.  Here, 
however,  where  the  State  does  all  the  thinking  for 
the  populace,  men's  souls  are  like  those  rudimentary 
organs  in  the  body  for  which  no  use  has  been  discov- 
ered. Will-power,  imagination,  the  creative  faculty 
—  these  things  are  unknown,  and  the  State  trains  its 


2o8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

subjects  to  perform  certain  tasks  m,uch  as  your  horses 
are  trained  to  haul  wagons.  On  the  earth  it  is  the 
debased,  the  pervert  (which  in  most  cases  means  the 
ignorant),  who  are  imprisoned,  while  here  it  is 
the  good  and  the  intelligent.  Could  there  possibly  be 
any  more  damnable  folly  than  this  Social  Demo- 
cracy ?  " 

As  a  means  of  calming  my  restlessness  the  doctor 
took  me  on  several  excursions  over  the  country,  and 
on  one  of  these  we  made  a  visit  to  the  monument  that 
had  been  erected  to  the  Federation  of  Labor  of  At- 
lantis. Our  car  brought  us  close  to  the  base  of  this 
wonder  of  wonders.  Imagine,  if  you  can,  a  pyramid 
of  brilliancy  seventy-five  feet  square  at  the  base  and 
piercing  the  upper  air  for  fully  five  hundred  feet,  and 
you  will  have  some  idea  of  this  marvelous  work  of 
mian.  So  bright  was  its  light  that  it  was  necessary 
to  protect  the  eyes  with  smoked  glasses  on  approach- 
ing it.  In  fact,  it  was  a  veritable  sun,  illuminating 
the  land  for  miles  and  miles  around.  I  found  on  close 
inspection  that  it  was  a  monolith  of  white  transparent 
marble,  a  material  which  I  had  never  before  met 
in  nature.  Radium  had  been  applied  to  the  entire 
surface  and  the  effect  produced  was  that  of  liquid 
fire. 

To  say  that  T  was  astounded  by  the  spectacle  but 


THE  DOCTOR'S  HATRED  209 

ill  expresses  it.  The  doctor,  however,  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  instead  of  speaking  in  admiration,  shook 
his  fist  toward  it  and  exclaimed: 

"  There  is  the  monument  that  commemorates  our 
damnation.  But  for  the  Federation  of  Labor  the 
Social  Dempcracy  would  never  have  been.  It  was  the 
Federation  that  paved  the  way.  It  passed  laws  pro- 
viding that  the  State  should  fix  wages  and  hours  of 
labor.  It  declared  what  should  constitute  a  day's 
work  in  all  industries,  it  limited  the  number  of  men 
who  could  be  permitted  to  learn  the  various  trades 
and  occupations,  and  it  compelled  employers  to  hire 
labor  whether  they  made  any  profit  or  not.  The  Fed- 
eration acted  on  the  theory  that  the  owners  of  capital 
were  a  curse  and  that  if  it  were  not  for  them  labor 
could  live  in  luxury  and  work  only  a  few  hours  a 
day.  It  calmly  argued  that  the  less  labor  did  the 
higher  would  be  its  wages.  The  leaders  of  the  Fed- 
eration said  that  there  was  a  certain  amount  of  work 
to  be  done  in  Atlantis,  and  that  the  competition  among 
the  workers  for  the  chance  to  do  this  work  made  it 
possible  for  the  employers  to  reduce  wages.  '  Now,' 
said  they,  '  all  that  needs  to  be  done  is  to  get  rid  of 
this  competition.  Let  us  shorten  hours  and  let  no 
man  perform  any  greater  share  of  this  labor  than  he 
can  possibly  avoid,  and  then  we  shall  have  a  condition 


2IO  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

in  which  the  competition  will  be  transferred  to  the 
employers  —  a  condition  in  which  the  employers  will 
bid  against  each  other  to  secure  men  to  perform  the 
necessary  work  of  the  nation.  This  will  result  in  the 
enrichment  of  the  masses  instead  of  the  few,  as  is  now 
the  case.'  " 

The  doctor  paused,  and  I  made  the  remark  that  the 
same  doctrine  was  believed  in  by  some  millions  of 
men  on  the  earth. 

At  this  he  became  much  excited. 

"If  that  is  so,"  he  declared  with  vehemence,  " then 
your  institutions  of  individual  freedom  are  in  danger. 
The  argument  that  the  less  men  do  the  more  they 
will  get  is  one  of  the  most  dangerous  vaporings  of 
ignorance.  Let  me  tell  you  briefly  what  happened 
when  it  became  the  cardinal  principle  of  the  dominat- 
ing political  economy  of  Atlantis.  The  popular  as- 
sembly at  first  passed  laws  reducing  the  hours  of 
labor  to  eight,  then  to  six  and  then  to  five.  At  the 
same  time,  wages  failing  to  advance,  many  strikes 
occurred  and,  the  government  falling  completely  under 
the  control  of  the  Federation,  the  fixing  of  wages  was 
declared  to  be  a  State  function.  Bills  were  thereupon 
immediately  enacted,  raising  them  from  twenty-five 
to  fifty  per  cent.  While  all  this  was  going  on  the 
unions  took  care  to  see  that  no  '  scabs  '  should  work, 


THE  DOCTOR'S  HATRED  211 

and  that  the  young  men  would  not  be  permitted  to 
enter  the  labor  market.  What  happened?  Did  the 
workers  get  rich?  No.  It  was  found  that  prices  for 
commodities  made  by  labor  became  so  exorbitant  that 
they  more  than  absorbed  the  increase  in  wages.  A 
man  who  was  earning  fifty  dollars  a  week  found  he 
could  not  buy  nearly  as  much  with  it  as  he  formerly 
bought  when  his  wages  were  only  twenty  dollars. 
There  was  but  one  thing  left  to  be  done  and  that  was 
for  the  State  to  fix  prices.  The  government  began  to 
take  up  this  work,  and  immediately  there  was  a  strike 
of  all  the  employers  in  the  nation.  The  employers 
claimed  that  it  was  difficult  to  make  a  profit,  even  at 
the  high  prices  current  in  the  market.  They  claimed 
that  they  had  never  fixed  either  wages  or  prices  and 
that  government  should  not  seek  to  do  so.  They  in- 
sisted that  they  could  not  be  compelled  to  turn  out 
goods  at  a  loss,  and  that  when  wages  were  arbitrarily 
raised  and  hours  of  labor  reduced,  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion was  so  increased  as  to  make  higher  prices  im- 
perative. It  was  true,  they  said,  that  the  demand  was 
limited  at  the  higher  range  of  values,  and  that  con- 
sequently production  had  been  greatly  curtailed,  thus 
making  it  impossible  for  many  of  the  people  to  have 
their  needs  suppHed.  But  they  did  not  consider  them- 
selves responsible   for  the  situation,  and,  while  they 


212  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

thought  that  if  any  one  wished  to  play  the  philanthro- 
pist and  make  goods  at  a  loss  he  was  welcome  to  do 
so,  yet  as  for  themselves  they  had  no  ambitions  in  that 
direction  and  would  insist  on  shutting  down  business 
entirely  rather  than  permit  the  government  to  fix  the 
prices  on  their  products. 

"  But  the  labor  leaders  ridiculed  the  arguments  of 
the  employers.  They  declared  that  the  high  prices 
were  due  to  their  rapacity  and  greed  and  they  loudly 
called  for  the  extinction  of  the  whole  tribe  of  capital- 
ists. For  a  while  there  was  pandemonium  and  an- 
archy, but  the  government,  being  in  the  hands  of  the 
Federation,  remained  firm  against  the  employers. 
Many  of  the  latter  were  thrown  into  prison  and  their 
plants  confiscated.  Then  the  entire  capital  of  the  na- 
tion was  declared  to  belong  to  the  State,  and  the  em- 
ployers were  invited  to  go  to  work  or  go  to  jail, 
some  choosing  one  alternative  and  the  rest  the  other. 
It  was  announced  that  the  Golden  Era  had  at  last 
dawned,  and  the  people  were  urged  to  be  patient  until 
the  State  could  get  the  factories  and  farms  and  fisher- 
ies in  condition,  when  it  was  promised  there  would  be 
universal  leisure  and  luxury.  But  alas !  after  many 
centuries  the  people  are  still  waiting  for  the  fulfilment 
of  these  glittering  promises.  I  do  not  doubt  that  the 
labor  leaders  did  their  best,  but  under  their  manage- 


THE  DOCTOR'S  HATRED  213 

ment  the  industries  of  the  country  woefully  failed  to 
turn  out  enough  commodities  to  supply  the  demand 
at  the  prices  fixed.  Something  was  wrong  and  it 
was  decided  that  the  medium  of  exchange,  that  is 
money,  was  the  root  of  the  trouble ;  so  money  was 
abolished  and  credit  cards  were  issued  to  the  workers 
instead. 

"  About  this  time  the  principle  was  established  that 
no  man  should  have  more  of  the  products  of  labor 
than  another,  and  a  host  of  enactments  were  put  into 
force  regarding  the  use  of  the  cards.  Then  all  occu- 
pations considered  as  unnecessary  were  abolished  and 
the  workers  were  divided  into  regiments.  Still  the 
goal  of  luxury  seemed  as  far  removed  as  ever.  The 
men  in  charge  of  the  factories  were  not  only  incapa- 
ble, but  they  could  exercise  no  discipline  over  the 
men,  since  the  latter  believed  they  were  as  good  as 
their  bosses  and  were  entitled  to  judge  for  themselves 
as  to  the  amount  of  work  they  should  do.  This  con- 
dition could  not  last.  Those  controlling  the  govern- 
ment finally  saw  that  before  the  needs  of  the  people 
could  be  supplied  the  commodities  must  be  actually 
produced,  and  they  also  saw  that  unless  the  people 
worked  it  would  be  impossible  to  produce  the  com- 
modities. Accordingly,  the  government  resorted  to 
the  expedient  of  increasing  the  forces  of  the  walking 


214  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

delegates.  This  move  not  only  strengthened  the 
power  of  the  government,  but  it  also  provided  the 
instrument  for  compelling  the  people  to  labor.  The 
term  '  walking  delegate '  was  dropped  and  that  of 
*  inspector  '  substituted.  It  was  then  carefully  figured 
out  by  the  inspectors  how  many  shoes,  how  much 
clothing,  and  so  forth,  must  be  produced  to  supply 
the  needs  of  the  country,  and  calculations  also  were 
made  as  to  how  much  work  each  man  would  have  to 
do,  in  order  that  the  needed  product  be  created. 
These  figures  were  laid  before  the  nation,  and  at  the 
same  time  it  was  also  announced  that  if  any  man  did 
not  perform  the  work  required  of  him  he  would  be 
severely  dealt  with.  There  was  a  great  hue  and  cry, 
but  it  was  found  that  the  government  was  too  strong 
to  be  easily  overturned.  Serious  resistance  to  its 
wall  was  easily  crushed,  and  the  people  were  forced 
to  work  under  the  lash  of  the  inspectors.  Thus  did  the 
ignorance  of  the  Federation  beget  socialism,  and  thus, 
instead  of  leisure  and  luxury,  did  it  bring  forth  » 
slavery,  poverty  and  vice.  Do  you  wonder  then  that 
I  should  curse  that  great  organization,  which,  while 
standing  for  the  sacred  cause  of  the  masses,  propa- 
gated those  false  ideas  that  led  to  universal  misery 
and  damnation?  Yonder  monument  represents  the 
triumph  of  the  fiends  of  hell,  and  if  I  could  but  de- 


THE  DOCTOR'S  HATRED  215 

stroy  it  I  would  not  count  my  life  as  having  been 
lived  in  vain." 

I  was  surprised  at  the  feeling  displayed  by  the 
doctor,  but  on  reflection  I  realized  it  was  not  without 
good  cause.  I  could  not  forbear  thinking,  however, 
that  an  employer  on  earth  would  be  considered  highly 
intemperate,  did  he  speak  half  as  strongly  about  the 
unions  there.  Then  I  wondered  if  the  doctor  really 
would  carry  his  vindictive  feeling  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  destroy  the  monument.     So  I  said  to  him : 

"  Doctor,  if  you  are  so  bent  on  destroying  it,  why 
don't  you  do  it  ?  " 

He  gave  me  a  puzzled  look. 

"  I  don't  know  how,"  he  said. 

"  You  surprise  me,"  I  replied.  "  There  are  plenty 
of  substances  that  will  do  the  work.  There  is  gun- 
powder, for  example;  also  guncotton,  nitroglycerin, 
picric  acid  and  many  other  explosives." 

"  But  we  have  nothing  of  the  kind  in  Atlantis." 

"  Then  make  them,"  I  said. 

"  We  have  lost  the  art  of  making  explosives.  Their 
manufacture  was  interdicted  centuries  ago  as  a  mat- 
ter of  self-preservation  on  the  part  of  the  State." 

"  But  you  have  a  laboratory,"  I  suggested. 

The  doctor  gazed  at  me  and  a  wild  look  came  into 
his  eyes. 


2i6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  You  know  how  to  make  them !  You  shall  show 
me!" 

With  that  he  became  greatly  excited,  shaking  his 
clenched  hand  at  the  monument  and  declaring  he  would 
wreak  his  vengeance  on  it. 

What  contrasts  there  are  in  the  character  of  every 
man !  I  should  never  have  dreamed  that  one  so  gentle 
and  good  as  the  doctor  would  harbor  in  his  heart  so 
bitter  a  hatred  as  that  which  he  now  manifested. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE    INDUSTRIAL    MILLENNIUM 

The  monument  served  a  useful  as  well  as  a  senti- 
mental purpose.  As  I  have  previously  said,  radium 
rays  had  many  of  the  properties  of  sunlight  and  were 
essential  to  the  development  of  plant  life  in  Atlantis. 
The  shining  obelisk  naturally  became  the  center  of  a 
rich  agricultural  section  in  which  large  quantities  of 
grain  and  vegetables  were  raised.  Fields  stretched 
away  on  all  sides  of  it.  Some  of  these  were  lying 
fallow,  others  were  ready  for  the  harvest,  while  still 
others  had  only  recently  been  planted.  There  were 
no  seasons  in  Atlantis,  no  cold  wares  or  hot  waves, — 
just  the  same  mild  equable  temperature  the  year 
around,  and  this  made  it  possible  to  grow  crops  at 
any  time.  During  our  inspection  of  the  monument 
and  the  doctor's  outbreak  against  the  Federation  we 
were  alone,  but  now  several  inspectors  approached, 
and  we  turned  to  walk  through  the  fields.  After  a 
time  we  came  in  sight  of  a  number  of  men,  who  were 
deployed  in  two  ranks  across  a  section  of  plowed 
land. 

217 


2i8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  You  will  now  see  socialism  in  operation,"  the 
doctor  said.  "  Those  men  are  planting.  Observe 
them." 

Coming  closer  I  saw  in  the  front  rank  about  fifty 
men  stretched  out  in  one  long  line,  like  a  company 
of  soldiers  on  skirmish  duty.  They  maintained  a 
stooping  posture,  except  at  rare  intervals,  and  their 
advance  across  the  field  was  slow.  Hanging  from  the 
shoulder  of  each  was  a  bag,  containing  seed.  Every 
now  and  then  each  man  would  thrust  his  right  hand 
into  his  bag  and  drawing  it  out  would  puncture  the 
earth  with  his  fingers  and  move  on.  It  was  evident 
they  were  planting,  but  who  were  these  men  in  the 
rear  rank  and  what  were  their  duties?  They  were 
fewer  in  number  tlian  those  in  front,  but  they  walked 
erect  and  each  one  brandished  a  weapon  that  re- 
sembled the  medieval  morning-star,  an  instrument 
consisting  of  a  small  metal  ball  set  with  spikes  and 
attached  by  a  chain  to  an  iron  rod  which  served  as 
the  handle.  There  was  one  of  these  men  to  every 
three  who  did  the  planting.  On  the  extreme  right  of 
the  line  was  an  individual  who  walked  along  in  a 
very  leisurely  manner  with  neither  seed-bag  nor 
morning-star. 

"  Halt !  "  cried  out  this  man,  and  his  command  was 
echoed  across  the  field  bv  the  men  in  the  rear  rank. 


THE  INDUSTRIAL  MILLENNIUM      219 

Those  in  the  front  rank  immediately  stopped,  stood 
erect  and  stretched  their  arms  and  backs. 

"  Advance !  "  The  order  was  repeated  down  the 
hne  and  immediately  the  men  with  the  bags  bent 
double  at  their  task  and  slowly  moved  forward  as 
they  pushed  the  seed  into  the  ground.  Now  and  then 
some  of  them  would  go  a  little  too  fast  or  too  slow, 
causing  a  sag  in  the  line,  and  the  general  would  yell 
out: 

"Right  dress!" 

If  the  order  was  not  promptly  obeyed  the  morning- 
stars  swished  threateningly  through  the  air.  Occa- 
sionally some  laggard  felt  the  prongs  upon  his  thigh 
or  back.  I  fear  that  this  occurred  only  too  often,  for 
those  who  wielded  the  weapons  appeared  to  vie  with 
each  other  in  "  teasing  their  comrades,"  as  it  was 
called. 

The  sight  was  revolting  and  I  turned  my  eyes  to 
the  doctor. 

"  I  have  always  understood,"  I  said,  "  that  under 
socialism  men  would  require  no  higher  incentive  to 
labor  than  the  common  good." 

The  doctor  looked  at  me  quizzically,  but  he  said, 
seriously  enough : 

"  The  disinclination  to  work  is  natural  to  men,  and 
it  is  only  their  necessities  that  drive  them  to  it.  Wlien 


220  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

men  are  dependent  on  their  own  efforts  for  their  live- 
lihood, and  when  they  know  that  their  needs  and  de- 
sires will  be  satisfied  only  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  energy  and  intelligence  they  bring  to  their  labor, 
the  highest  possible  incentive  is  given  them  to  exert 
themselves.  It  is  then  they  test  their  endurance  to  the 
limit  and  burn  the  midnight  oil  to  improve  their  minds. 
But  was  there  ever  a  man  who  labored  from  pure  love 
of  it?  I  imagine  that  men  may  become  deeply  inter- 
ested in  their  work  and  take  a  pride  in  their  ability  to 
create,  but  this  can  be  possible,  I  should  judge,  only 
after  they  have  acquired  the  habit  for  work  and  the 
knowledge  that  makes,  them  proficient  in  it.  I  can 
understand  how  in  such  cases  they  may  continue  to 
work  even  when  want  does  not  press  them.  But  under 
socialism  there  is  no  pride  in  personal  attainment,  and 
no  answering  reward  in  public  approbation.  Before 
the  army  of  inspectors  received  orders  to  compel  peo- 
ple to  work,  dawdling  was  reduced  to  a  science.  The 
fear  of  hunger  was  remote,  and  while  every  one 
vaguely  realized  that  the  common  stock  of  food  and 
clothing  could  not  be  maintained  unless  some  labor 
was  performed,  no  one  was  anxious  to  contribute 
more  labor  than  his  neighbor.  The  average  man  was 
slow  in  getting  down  to  work,  and  after  he  did  he 
would  stop  every  few  seconds  to  look  around  to  see 


THE  INDUSTRIAL  MILLENNIUM       221 

if  everybody  else  was  working.  He  wanted  to  be 
constantly  praised  for  everything  he  did,  and  he  was 
always  ready  to  flatter  his  neighbor  if  the  latter  would 
only  work  hard.  Gradually,  but  inevitably,  the  pace 
was  set  by  the  most  indolent  and  inefficient,  and  the 
State  was  hard-pressed  to  keep  national  starvation 
away.  Socialism  could  not  perform  miracles,  and  as 
there  was  no  longer  a  sufficient  incentive  to  make  the 
individual  work  voluntarily,  it  became  necessary  to 
make  him  work  involuntarily." 

I  listened  to  this  lengthy  statement  with  much  in- 
terest and  remarked: 

"  More  and  more  I  am  impressed  with  the  resem- 
blance between  your  country  and  our  prisons,  where 
the  convicts  are  forced  to  work.  What  a  loss  of  pro- 
ductive power  has  been  sustained  in  Atlantis  by  the 
exchange  of  a  voluntary  system  of  labor  for  an  in- 
voluntary one !  But  tell  me  one  thing  more,  why  is  it 
you  have  no  farm  machinery  for  planting?" 

"  The  reason  is  simple.  The  Federation  of  Labor  in 
the  old  days  placed  nearly  all  machinery  under  the 
ban.  True  to  their  theory  that  the  less  each  man  did 
the  more  labor  there  would  be  left  for  others  to  do, 
they  declared  that  machinery  was  far  worse  than  ener- 
getic habits  on  the  part  of  the  individual.  Is  it  not 
true,  they  asked,  that  a  great  many  more  men  would 


222  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

be  employed  if  the  product  turned  out  by  machinery 
were  made  by  hand?  Of  course  it  was  true,  rephed 
the  nation.  So  when  the  Federation  seized  control  of 
the  government  nearly  all  labor-saving  devices  were 
destroyed,  and  it  became  unlawful  for  any  one  to 
make  or  invent  new  ones.  Machinery  was  declared 
to  be  a  devilish  device  of  the  capitalist  to  rid  himself 
of  the  necessity  of  employing  labor,  and  the  orators 
drew  many  dark  pictures  of  the  time  when  all  com- 
modities would  be  turned  out  by  machines  and  human 
labor  would  be  compelled  to  fold  its  arms  in  idleness 
and  starvation." 

"  What  did  they  think  would  become  of  the  com- 
modities which  the  machines  would  turn  out?"  I 
asked. 

"  Oh,  they  seemed  never  to  think  about  that, —  at 
least  they  never  tried  to  explain  that  phase  of  the  mat- 
ter. I  suppose,  had  they  been  pressed  to  give  an 
opinion  about  it,  they  would  have  said  the  owners  of 
the  machines  would  apply  all  the  commodities  to  their 
own  use  or  store  them  away  or  burn  them  or  throw 
them  into  the  sea." 

"  I  have  heard  the  same  sort  of  argument  from 
labor  leaders  on  the  earth  reputed  to  be  the  most  in- 
telligent," I  remarked.  "  They  seemed  to  think  the 
capitalists  would  run  their  machinery  merely  to  see 


THE  INDUSTRIAL  MILLENNIUM      223 

the  wheels  go  round.  It  certainly  ought  to  be  evident 
to  the  most  dense  that  they  could  have  no  object  in 
piling  up  products  to  go  to  waste.  But  how  about 
the  railroads?    They  did  not  destroy  them," 

"  No,  there  were  some  classes  of  machinery  which 
they  spared,"  was  the  reply.  "  They  did  not  destroy 
the  railroads,  or  the  air  machinery,  or  the  sewage- 
reduction  plants  or  the  water  distilleries.  Hoisting 
machinery,  foundries  and  a  few  machine-shops  were 
preserved,  but  in  the  main,  where  hand  labor  could  do 
what  machinery  did,  the  latter  was  wrecked.  As  for 
the  railroads,  they  employed  many  men,  and  when  the 
Federation  took  charge  of  things  these  men  were 
working  for  the  State.  They  had  acquired  a  great 
deal  of  power  with  the  government,  and  were  so  suc- 
cessful now  and  then  in  getting  their  wages  raised 
that  they  constituted  an  object  lesson  of  great  value 
in  proving  to  labor  in  general  that  if  the  State  were 
the  sole  employer  every  one  would  be  highly  paid. 
These  men  insisted  that  their  means  of  livelihood  be  not 
disturbed,  and  the  Federation,  under  all  the  existing 
circumstances,  thought  it  best  to  yield  to  their  desires. 
It  is  due  to  this  fact  that  there  was  not  a  return  to 
primitive  methods  of  transportation." 

The  doctor  now  suggested  that  we  visit  some  of  the 
factories,  but  I  decided  that  I  had  seen  quite  enough 


224  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

of  the  industrial  side  of  Atlantis  for  the  time  being 
and  we  returned  to  the  dormitory.  I  devoted  most  of 
the  rest  of  the  day  to  explaining  to  my  friend  the  con- 
stituent elements  of  explosives,  and  the  method  of 
making  them  with  the  least  danger.  I  found  there 
was  plenty  of  saltpeter  and  sulphur  in  Atlantis,  and 
that  the  doctor  had  at  his  command  all  the  ingredients 
necessary  for  the  making  of  gunpowder  and  gimcotton. 
He  set  to  work  making  these  two  explosives  and,  as 
he  was  an  experienced  chemist,  his  progress  was  rapid. 
In  fact,  an  unholy  zeal  in  the  carrying  out  of  the  enter- 
prise seemed  to  take  complete  possession  of  him,  and 
it  was  plain,  from  his  constant  references  to  the  sub- 
ject, that  he  looked  forward  with  much  unseemly  gusto 
to  the  blowing  up  of  the  monument. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE   DOCTOR   BECOMES    A   BUSY    MAN 

About  this  time  my  desire  to  escape  from  Atlantis 
became  so  intense  that,  aside  from  Astr^a,  I  could 
think  of  little  else.     I  began  to  see  that  merely  to 
meet  the  girl  in  secret  now  and  then  were  to  dwell 
only  in  a  fool's  paradise  which  sooner  or  later  must 
end  in  our  undoing.     I   refused  to   contemplate  the 
possible  consequences  of  our  rashness  and  at  the  same 
time  I  became  keenly  sensible  of  my  own  responsi- 
bility in  exposing  to  grave  danger  the  only  two  beings 
in  the  entire  land  for  whom  I  had  a  heartfelt  interest. 
The  doctor,  I  knew,  appreciated  fully  that  we  were 
toying  with  fate,  and  yet  because  of  his  attachment 
for    me    he    was    ready    to    sacrifice    himself.     But 
Astr^a,  I  could  see,  gave  no  thought  to  the  possibly 
tragic  goal  toward  which  we  were  drifting.     She  was 
apparently  content  to  enjoy  the  happiness  of  the  mo- 
ment as  though  it  were  to  last  for  ever,  and  when,  m 
my  visits  to  her,  I  hinted  at  the  dark  shadow  over  our 
future,  she  would  smile  and  show  such  trust  in  my 
ability  to  overcome  all  obstacles  that  I  had  not  the 

225 


226  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

heart  to  discuss  with  her  the  Hmitations  of  my  power. 
I  had  seen  her  several  times  in  the  days  following  the 
visit  to  the  monument  I  have  just  described,  and  no 
incident  occurred  to  mar  the  blissful  dream  in  which 
we  lived.  But  on  returning  with  the  doctor  to  the 
dormitory  after  one  of  the  happy  evenings  spent  in 
her  company,  I  opened  my  mind  to  him  on  the  neces- 
sity of  quickly  devising  a  means  of  escape.  I  told 
him  of  the  misgivings  I  felt  and  how  I  could  not  rest 
at  night  because  I  was  endangering  Astrsea's  life  and 
his  own. 

"  If  I  could  only  make  a  water  balloon,"  I  said, 
"then  we  might  all  three  hope  to  reach  the  upper 
world." 

The  doctor  listened  attentively  and  taking  me  affec- 
tionately by  the  arm  he  said : 

"  My  brother,  you  must  not  censure  yourself  for 
the  ill  fortune  that  your  visits  to  the  prison  may  bring 
to  me  or  to  Astrsea.  In  Atlantis  no  true  happiness  is 
attainable  without  danger,  and  I  reap  such  pleasure  in 
going  with  you  to  the  prison  that  I  am  only  too  willing 
to  pay  the  cost,  whatever  it  may  be.  As  for  Astrsea, 
she  would,  I  am  sure,  express  herself  in  the  same  way, 
though  no  doubt  in  better  words,  and  would  count  it 
ill  in  you,  did  you  give  a  thought  to  sparing  her  from 
the  consequences  by  ceasing  to  see  her.     Grasp  your 


DOCTOR  BECOMES  A  BUSY  MAN     227 

opportunity  to  taste  of  happiness  while  you  may,  for 
the  future  may  never  again  present  such  a  favorable 
chance." 

I  was  much  affected  by  the  gentle,  almost  tender, 
manner  in  which  the  doctor  spoke,  as  well  as  by  the 
sentiments  he  expressed.  But  I  persisted  in  my  views 
and  said: 

"  If  we  continue  to  visit  the  prison,  all  the  greater 
reason  exists  why  we  should  plan  to  escape." 

"  Ah,  my  young  friend,"  he  responded,  "  if  it  were 
possible  to  escape  it  might  be  well  to  think  on  it ;  but 
why  let  it  disturb  your  present  happiness,  when  it  is 
clearly  out  of  the  question?  Rather  should  you  en- 
deavor to  reconcile  yourself  to  life  in  Atlantis  and 
seek  to  better  conditions  here  by  reforming  the  gov- 
ernment." 

To  this  I  replied  in  some  impatience  that  the  coun- 
try was  not  worth  reforming,  that  Atlantis  was  not  a 
fit  place  for  human  beings,  anyway,  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  make  silk  purses  from  sow's  ears,  and  much 
to  a  like  effect. 

"  Besides,"  I  declared,  "  I  have  no  ambition  to  be 
a  great  reformer."  I  could  see  the  doctor  was  hurt 
by  my  words.  Nevertheless  I  continued  to  argue 
against  his  ideas  of  public  reformation,  and  said : 

"  A  people  are  not  entitled  to  any  better  govern- 


228  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ment  than  the  one  they  themselves  endure.  Tell  me 
the  kind  of  government  a  country  has  and  I  will  tell 
you  whether  its  people  are  intelligent  or  ignorant, 
prosperous  or  poverty-stricken.  Your  country  has 
the  worst  government  that  man  ever  devised,  and  your 
people  are  the  most  ignorant,  the  most  debased  and 
the  most  wretched  in  all  the  universe.  It  would  be  a 
blessing  to  them  were  they  suddenly  destroyed  by 
some  cataclysm  of  nature,  for  the  good  has  died  in 
them  and  they  no  longer  can  serve  any  useful  end  in 
the  scheme  of  creation.  You  say  it  is  impossible  to 
escape.  I  tell  you  it  is  far  more  impossible  to  estab- 
lish any  reform  worth  while,  with  the  rriaterial  com- 
posing the  masses  in  Atlantis.  There  is  an  old  saying 
that  I  remember  well, —  if  a  people  would  be  free  they 
must  free  themselves.  Liberty  can  not  be  permanent 
unless  the  body  of  the  people  understand  and  value  it 
and  know  how  to  protect  it." 

"  You  discourage  me,"  said  the  doctor  dejectedly ; 
"  I  thought  that  possibly  we  might  inaugurate  a  revo- 
lution by  destroying  the  monument." 

I  now  discerned  one  of  the  reasons  for  his  zeal  in 
the  project  to  destroy  the  symbol  of  the  Democracy, 
but  I  said : 

"  Doctor,  I  do  not  like  to  'dampen  your  ardor  for 
the  welfare  of  your  people,  but  one  man  alone  can 


DOCTOR  BECOMES  A  BUSY  MAN      229 

not  start  a  revolution.  He  must  gather  around  him 
a  strong  following  and  build  up  public  sentiment  to 
support  his  plans.  Could  you  arouse  a  hatred  for 
the  Democracy  among  a  considerable  number  of  your 
countrymen,  and  stir  them  up  to  the  destruction  of 
the  monument,  then  there  might  be  some  hope  of  suc- 
cess in  bringing  about  a  revolution.  But  as  it  is, 
you  will  be  one  man  against  the  entire  nation,  and 
you  will  die  the  death  of  a  traitor." 

"  That  may  be  true,  but  we  shall  see,"  he  replied 
doggedly. 

It  was  evident  that  he  was  not  to  be  moved  from 
his  purpose,  and  he  continued  with  unabated  energy 
to  make  the  explosives  for  carrying  out  his  design. 
His  laboratory  was  rapidly  becoming  a  magazine,  and 
we  were  both  oppressed  with  a  constant  dread  lest 
some  inspector  might  unwittingly  cause  a  premature 
explosion  while  visiting  the  place.  This  compelled 
the  doctor  to  keep  close  to  his  workroom,  guarding 
his  bottles  and  receptacles  as  though  they  were  sacred. 

One  evening  during  the  smoke-time  we  made  a 
trip  to  the  monument  for  the  purpose  of  studying  how 
we  could  best  place  the  explosive.  Good  fortune  fa- 
vored us,  for  we  found  no  inspectors  on  guard  about 
it.  The  heads  of  the  departments  had  probably  never 
imagined  that  any  harm  could  come  to  it.     We  found 


230  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

on  one  side  of  the  obelisk  a  narrow  stairway  exca- 
vated in  the  earth  and  leading  to  a  small  door  in  the 
foundation.  This  door  was  not  locked  and  entering 
we  discovered  well  in  the  interior  a  small  chamber, 
filled  with  dust  and  dirt.  The  room  might  possibly 
have  served  in  the  past  as  sleeping  quarters  for  a  cus- 
todian, but  it  was  plain  it  had  not  been  tenanted  for 
years.  It  now  appeared  to  be  made  especially  for  our 
purpose.  About  the  walls  of  the  chamber  were  a 
number  of  blocks  of  stone,  which,  I  saw,  would  serve 
us  excellently  in  closing  up  the  passageway  leading  to 
the  exit,  when  once  we  had  filled  the  room  with  ex- 
plosives. The  doctor  was  somewhat  appalled  at  the 
quantity  of  powder  I  considered  essential  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  undertaking,  but  I  did  not  intend  to  chance 
a  failure  through  insufficient  preparation.  The  prob- 
lem of  setting  off  the  charge  was  a  delicate  one,  but 
we  finally  determined  on  making  a  slow-burning 
fuse,  which  could  be  lighted  at  the  door  of  the  monu- 
ment and  would  give  us  a  good  half -hour  to  make 
our  retreat  to  a  place  of  safety.  The  plan  now  being 
perfected  the  doctor  redoubled  his  efforts  to  put  it 
into  execution ;  and  had  the  State  been  watchful  when 
its  subjects  reveled  in  the  smoke-weed  it  might  have 
observed  two  men  leaving  Dormitory  457  several 
times  a  week  with  their  garments  strangely  bulging, 


DOCTOR  BECOMES  A  BUSY  MAN     231 

and  returning  several  hours  later  considerably  ema- 
ciated in  appearance.  But  the  State,  over-confident 
in  its  security,  paid  no  heed,  and  the  product  of  the 
doctor's  pov^der  factory  was  gradually  but  safely 
transferred  to  the  interior  of  the  monument.  History 
is  full  of  such  instances  of  official  carelessness,  and 
many  a  proud  city  has  fallen  because  of  its  sentries 
sleeping  on  its  walls  or  its  garrison  feasting  and 
carousing  while  its  gates  were  opening  to  an  invading 
host. 

I  confess  that  at  this  time  I  saw  little  reason  why 
the  monument  should  be  destroyed.  While  I  gloated 
over  the  idea  of  playing  a  trick  on  the  Democracy, 
for  to  me  our  enterprise  had  no  higher  import  than 
this,  yet  I  would  willingly  have  abandoned  the  hazard- 
ous undertaking,  had  not  the  doctor  been  so  set  on 
it.  As  the  sequel  showed,  however,  we  were  building 
better  than  we  knew.  How  frequently  actions, 
deemed  unimportant  and  seemingly  v/ithout  adequate 
object,  develop  either  to  our  ruin  or  our  salvation ! 

While  preparing  our  mine  of  powder  and  visiting 
Astraea  from  time  to  time,  I  was  ever  busy  in  my 
mind  contriving  how  I  might  get  back  again  to  God's 
country.  In  order  to  make  a  water  balloon  I  required 
some  material  lighter  than  water,  and  I  knew  of  none 
that  would   serve   the  purpose  except  timber.     Now 


232  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

this  was  a  scarce  article  in  the  submerged  island,  there 
being  few  trees  and  those  only  in  places  far  distant 
from  the  dormitory.  Many  apparently  unsolvable 
problems  become  simple,  however,  if  they  are  studied 
perseveringly,  and  by  dint  of  hard  thinking  it  finally 
occurred  to  me  that  the  wreckage  of  ships  in  the  Hall 
of  Curiosities  was  just  the  material  I  needed.  As  it 
was  doubtless  thoroughly  dried  I  figured  that  it  could 
be  made  into  a  gallant  raft,  to  which,  for  sails,  I 
could  attach  a  number  of  bladders  filled  with  air. 
The  wealth  of  the  ancients  would  make  very  excellent 
ballast.  When  all  was  ready  the  doctor,  Astraea  and 
myself  could  moor  the  craft  into  the  sea  and  bid  fare- 
well to  the  Social  Democracy.  We  would  have  suffi- 
cient air  aboard  to  last  the  voyage  out,  and  I  pictured 
to  myself  our  rising  from  the  deep  in  the  surging 
waves  of  the  broad  Atlantic.  When  I  unfolded  this 
plan  to  the  doctor  he  said  it  was  a  most  beautiful  idea, 
and  that  he  could  find  no  flaw  in  it  except  that  we 
would  not  be  permitted  to  carry  it  out.  This  was 
truly  a  serious  objection,  but  nevertheless  I  was  more 
than  encouraged  to  discover  that  escape,  after  all,  was 
not  a  physical  impossibility,  as  the  doctor  had  always 
claimed,  and  I  began  to  speculate  as  to  how  I  could 
obtain  permission  to  make  the  craft. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

I  AM   HONORED   WITH  DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Mrs.  Brine  extended  me 
a  cordial  invitation  to  visit  her,  and  though  my  de- 
testation for  her  had  suffered  no  diminution,  yet  I 
mustered  up  courage  one  day  to  go  to  see  her.  I  had 
decided,  in  considering  her  invitation,  that  there  was 
no  reason  why,  if  chance  offered,  I  should  not  see 
Astrsea  more  frequently  than  once  in  three  days ;  and 
I  hoped  that  the  real  motive  for  my  call  would  not  be 
fathomed  by  the  old  woman.  But  no  sooner  did  she 
set  eyes  on  me  than  she  exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  it's  you !  So  you  have  decided  you  would 
like  to  meet  that  pretty  atavar  again,  eh  ?  " 

As  she  said  this  she  tried  to  chuckle  mie  under  the 
chin  with  her  bony  hand,  and  laughed  uncannily. 
She  continued: 

"  I  always  did  like  to  study  young  folks,  and  I'm 
partial  to  young  men.  You  shall  see  the  girl,  but  first 
I  want  you  to  meet  two  of  my  best  friends." 

She  ushered  me  into  her  apartments,  and  there  I 
clapped  my  eyes  on  two  of  the  ugliest  specimens  of 

233 


234  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

humanity  it  has  ever  been  my  misfortune  to  meet. 
One  was  a  creature  who  was  much  hke  Mrs.  Brine, 
only  considerably  shorter  in  stature.  I  noticed  with 
a  fascinated  stare  that  her  back  rose  to  a  peak  above 
the  line  of  her  head,  the  latter  protruding  in  front  of 
her  body.  The  other  creature  was  a  dwarf  of  hide- 
ous looks.  The  head  and  face  were  covered  with 
a  gray  shaggy  mat  of  hair,  which  proclaimed  the  sex 
as  masculine.  His  body  was  deformed,  as  could 
easily  be  seen  by  the  hang  of  his  garments,  his  left  leg 
was  shorter  than  the  right  and  his  arms  were  long, 
like  those  of  a  gorilla;  on  his  right  hand  there  was 
but  one  finger, 

Mrs.  Brine  presented  me  as  the  young  man  of 
whom  she  had  been  talking,  and  she  told  me  that  I 
should  call  the  "  lady  "  — 66  and  the  "  gentleman  " 
No.  13. 

No.  — 66  turned  her  watery  eyes  on  me  and  looked 
me  up  and  down.  She  hobbled  close  to  my  side, 
leaning  on  her  stick,  and  then  she  felt  of  my  arms  and 
even  had  the  temerity  to  touch  my  cheeks  with  her 
skinny  fingers.  I  stood  the  examination  with  as  good 
grace  as  possible,  but  her  gross  familiarity  was  too 
much  and  I  involuntarily  took  a  backward  step  beyond 
her  range.     She  chuckled  at  this  and  said: 

"  You're  an  interesting  specimen." 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  235 

Mrs.  Brine  saw  something  humorous  in  this  remark, 
for  she  giggled  and  said : 

"  Ugla,  I'll  wager  you  were  going  to  say  he  is 
handsome." 

"  And  suppose,  Ate,  I  did  say  it,  who's  to  hinder 
me  ?     Answer  me  that !  " 

"  Oh,  oh,  so  I've  riled  you !  Maybe  you'll  be  say- 
ing next  that  you  would  like  to  marry  him?" 

"  Well,  even  if  I  should  go  as  far  as  that  I  see  noth- 
ing funny  in  it,  that  you  should  try  to  make  sport  of 
me.  I  might  do  far  worse  than  make  such  a  strapping 
big  fellow  my  consort.  You  are  putting  ideas  into 
my  head.  Ate,  and  I'm  obliged  to  you  for  them." 

"  Tut,  tut !  "  put  in  the  dwarf. 

"  No,  there  is  no  '  tut,  tut ! '  about  it,"  said  Mrs. 
Brine.  "  If  I  see  a  sister  going  wrong  it  is  my  duty 
to  put  her  right  again.  Here  is  poor  Ugla,  who  would 
have  a  romance  while  tottering  on  the  brink  of  the 
grave.  My  dear  Ugla,  don't  you  know  that  this 
young  man  comes  from  a  country  where  the  man 
chooses  first  and  where  the  woman  accepts  or  rejects? 
Do  you  think  he  would  let  you  do  the  love-making? 
It's  against  his  training,  Ugla.  My  poor  girl,  it  is 
hard,  I  know,  to  give  up  such  a  pretty  dream,  but  then 
you  must." 

"You  would  taunt  me,  would  you?"  cried  Ugla 


236  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

shrilly.  "  You,  who  married  the  sea-surgeon,  your 
junior  by  forty  years !  Well,  we  shall  see.  If  there 
are  any  pickings  in  this  Democracy  I'll  have  you  know 
I've  as  much  right  to  them  as  you."  She  turned  her 
back  on  Mrs.  Brine  and  addressing  me,  said : 

"  You  see  Ate  there  is  a  little  jealous.  I  do  believe 
she's  afraid  I'll  get  a  finer  looking  husband  than  hers." 

Her  anger,  which  had  blazed  out  a  moment  before, 
now  vanished  as  suddenly  as  it  came.  With  a  grin 
meant  no  doubt  to  be  ingratiating  she  asked  me  the 
question : 

"  You  are  a  socialist,  are  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  said,  telling  a  half-truth,  "  I  was  a  social- 
ist on  earth." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Ate,"  she  continued,  "  you  see  how 
mistaken  you  are.  He  is  a  socialist  and  believes  in 
our  marriage  laws.  The  State  will  select  a  wife  for 
him,  and  he  will  gladly  show  his  allegiance  to  his 
adopted  country  by  obeying  the  will  of  the  State. 
And  the  State, —  who  is  the  State,  Ate,  answer  rne 
that  ?  Am  I  not  as  much  the  State  as  you  —  and  our 
friend  here?"  The  latter  part  of  the  sentence  was 
uttered  obviously  as  an  afterthought. 

It  may  well  be  supposed  that  I  was  astonished  at  this 
tilt  between  the  two  wretches.  I  was  not  only  aston- 
ished, but  also  filled  with  apprehension.     Who  were 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  2^3;?: 

these  women,  that  they  should  talk  in  such  a  way? 
Was  it  really  a  passage-at-arms  between  them,  or  was 
it  merely  a  little  play  enacted  for  my  benefit,  that  I 
might  think  of  it  in  my  spare  moments  and  make  out 
of  it  what  I  pleased?     Was  the  witch  in  earnest  about 
marrying  me,  and  could  she  possibly  be  able  to  con- 
trol the   choice  of  the   State   in   selecting  my  wife? 
Perhaps  she  was  only  attempting  to  be  witty,  though, 
there    seemed   to   be   a   serious   purpose   behind   her 
words.     My  mind  was  swayed  by  many  doubts,  but 
the   impression,   though  vague,   remained   uppermost 
that  these  women  had  given  me  a  hint  as  to  their 
power  and  proposed  I  should  marry  Ugla.     It  was  a 
most  significant   fact  to   me  that  they   should  have 
dared  to  address  each  other  as  Ate  and  Ugla,  an  un- 
heard-of procedure  in  Atlantis,  and  one  in  direct  con- 
flict with  the  laws.     Certainly  this  must  have  been 
done  for  a  purpose,  and  that  purpose,  I  told  myself, 
could  be  no  other  than  to  give  me  an  intimation  of 
their  importance  in  the  State  and  to  impress  on  me 
the  advantages  of  the  matrimonial  alliance  so  deli- 
cately proposed. 

The  dwarf  abruptly  stopped  further  discussion  of 
my  marriage  by  crying  out : 

"  You  two  beauties  stop  your  nonsense !    You  are 
scandalizing  the   State  before   this   young  man   and 


238  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

putting  him  very  much  out  of  countenance,  too,  at 
that.  Let  me  talk  to  him,  since  you  don't  know  how. 
What  do  you  think,  young  man,  of  socialism?  " 

This  question  was  directed  at  me  in  a  smooth  con- 
versational tone,  and  though  I  did  not  like  the  small 
beady  eyes  turned  on  me,  yet  I  was  thankful  for  his 
coming  to  my  rescue.  At  the  same  time,  I  was  mindful 
that  I  must  use  my  tongue  with  wisdom  and  discretion, 
so  I  said: 

"  Socialism  is  the  product  of  the  most  advanced 
thought,  and  I  have  never  ceased  to  wonder  at  its 
remarkable  development  in  this  country." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  so  well  taken  with 
it,"  he  said.  "  But  I  should  like  to  know  whether  you 
are  up  on  the  ethics  of  socialism.  You  were  a  social- 
ist on  earth  and  you  perhaps  know  that  the  funda- 
mental axiom  of  socialism  is  that  might  is  right  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  said.  "  I  gave  deep  study  to  the  basic 
premises  of  socialism  years  ago.  You  have  well  said 
that  its  first  principle  is  might  is  right.  Now,  on 
earth  to-day  certain  rights  are  justly  recognized  as 
belonging  to  the  individual,  not  because  the  individ- 
ual was  endowed  by  nature  with  these  rights,  but  be- 
cause the  majority  of  the  people  believe  in  them  and 
have  the  might  to  enforce  them.  At  the  present  time 
those  who  oppose  these  individual  rights  are  justly 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  239 

looked  upon  as  criminals  or  enemies  of  the  State,  be- 
cause they  are  in  the  minority  and  do  not  possess  the 
might  to  make  their  ideas  right.  For  example,  I 
miight  cite  the  case  of  the  burglar.  He  does  not  rec- 
ognize the  right  of  private  ownership  in  property, 
and  seeks  to  put  his  views  into  practice  by  going  by 
stealth  at  night  into  the  houses  of  others  and  robbing 
them  of  their  valuables.  If  he  is  captured  it  does  him 
no  good  to  plead  that  he  had  as  much  right  as  any 
one  else  to  the  property  he  took,  for  such  a  plea  is 
scorned  as  the  false  argument  of  a  criminal  mind  and 
he  is  sent  forthwith  to  prison.  But  let  a  majority 
of  the  people  come  to  his  way  of  thinking,  and  decide 
that  no  individual  can  claim  exclusive  ownership  in 
property,  and  what  do  we  have?  Why,  socialism, 
just  and  righteous  socialism.  The  minority  may  be 
compelled  to  yield  up  their  property  against  their  will, 
and  may  even  be  sent  to  prison  as  being  enemies  of 
man  if  they  offer  resistance.  Thus,  what  the  burglar 
could  not  do  without  committing  crime,  becomes  right- 
eous when  the  majority  do  it.  It  is  merely  a  ques- 
tion as  to  where  the  power  is  lodged.  The  burglar 
being  in  a  minority,  is  weak  and,  therefore,  is  wrong; 
but  the  majority,  possessing  the  power  to  enforce  their 
mandates,  can  make  right  the  same  ideas  previously 
condemned  in  the  burglar." 


240  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  A  most  excellent  exposition  of  the  socialistic  prin- 
ciple," said  the  dwarf  patronizingly.  "  I  believe  you 
would  make  a  good  member  of  the  Vorunk  or  popular 
assembly." 

"la  member  of  the  Vorunk,  as  you  call  it?  "  I  said. 
"  I  have  no  training  for  political  office." 

I  had  no  sooner  uttered  this  remark  than  I  saw  I 
had  made  a  grave  mistake.  Both  of  the  witches,  as 
well  as  the  dwarf,  frowned  heavily  and  before  the 
latter  could  speak  I  made  haste  to  say : 

"  No,  I  don't  mean  that.  I  have  resided  so  long 
in  America  that  naturally  now  and  then  I  lapse  into 
the  language  of  individualism.  Of  course,  my  real 
sentiments  are  that  no  vocation  requires  special  apti- 
tude, and  there  is  no  real  choice  between  jobs,  one 
being  as  good  or  bad  as  another.  The  majority  could 
not  permit  the  reservation  of  any  class  of  positions 
for  those  who  are  supposed  to  possess  ability  higher 
than  the  average.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  those 
making  up  the  majority  are  men  of  only  moderate 
mental  caliber  —  I  might  even  say  of  small  mental 
caliber — and  as  they  have  the  power  it  is  perfectly 
wise  and  right  for  them  to  decree  that  the  office  of 
legislator,  as  well  as  every  other  position,  shall  be  filled 
by  lot  and  that  men  with  brains  shall  not  be  shown  any 
special   favor  over  the  brainless.     When  I   come  to 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  241 

think  of  it  seriously,  I  feel  that  if  I  should  be  made  a 
member  of  the  Vorunk  I  could  attend  to  the  job  as 
well  as  another.  Furthermore,  I  am  as  much  entitled 
to  it  as  any  one  else." 

These  words  met  with  instant  approval,  as  I  could 
see  by  the  faces  of  all  three  of  the  interesting  person- 
ages about  me.     The  dwarf  said : 

"  The  fact  is  you  would  do  very  well  in  the  Vorunk. 
Your  ignorance  of  the  country  for  which  you  would 
be  called  on  to  make  laws  would  be  of  great  ad- 
vantage to  the  State.  The  most  ignorant,  I  have  found, 
make  the  best  officials,  the  best  judges  and  the  best 
generals  in  the  industrial  army.  They  cling  the  clos- 
est to  the  letter  of  the  laws.  They  are  most  tenacious 
in  upholding  the  doctrine  that  the  individual  must  im- 
plicitly obey  the  State  in  all  things,  and  they  have  the 
greatest  abhorence  for  ideas  not  stamped  as  righteous 
and  valid  by  the  State.  What  think  you,  Ate  and 
Ugla,  would  our  young  friend  be  a  good  man  for  the 
Vorunk?" 

"  Aye,  aye  he  would !  "  said  Ugla. 

"  Perhaps  what  you  say  is  wise,  perhaps  not,"  said 
Ate. 

"  Why  do  you  say  perhaps  this  and  perhaps  that  ?  " 
said  the  dwarf  testily.  "  Speak  out, —  what  do  you 
mean  ?  " 


242  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  I  mean  nothing  at  all,"  the  witch  replied,  "  except 
that  I  would  first  like  to  see  him  tried  before  I  would 
venture  my  opinion." 

Again  the  thought  flashed  through  my  mind  that 
the  conversation  was  not  the  idle  talk  it  seemed  on 
the  surface.  The  manner  in  which  my  marriage  with 
Ugla  had  been  broached  and  also  my  becoming  a 
member  of  the  Vorunk  was  suggestive  of  premedita- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  two  crones  and  the  dwarf.  If 
they  had  been  astute  politicians  I  should  have  been 
positive  they  were  attempting  to  dicker  with  me  with- 
out committing  themselves ;  and  while  I  had  no  tangi- 
ble knowledge  at  the  time  to  lead  me  to  suspect  that 
the  Democracy  was  subjected  to  personal  manipula- 
tion, yet  it  seemed  possible  that  instead  of  engaging 
in  aimless  chatter  I  was  in  reality  participating  in  a 
serious  conference  involving  my  future  destiny. 

My  repugnance  for  the  company  I  was  in  made  me 
anxious  to  get  away,  and  moreover  I  was  growing 
fretful  lest  Astr^ea  should  be  brought  into  our  pres- 
ence. I  was  ready  to  stand  being  gaped  at  by  Mrs. 
Brine,  should  I  meet  the  girl,  but  to  have  this  second 
witch  and  the  dwarf  also  staring  at  us  with  evil  and 
cynical  eyes  was  a  little  more  than  I  had  bargained 
for.     So  I  said: 

"  I  am  verv  glad  to  have  met  such  worthy  citizens 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  243 

of  the  Democracy  and  now  I  shall  intrude  no  longer 
on  your  time.    I  must  return  to  my  dormitory." 

But  Mrs.  Brine  checked  me  and  with  a  honeyed 
smile  she  said : 

"  You  surely  will  not  leave  me  so  soon.  I  have 
just  sent  for  one  of  my  hardened  prisoners  and  you 
must  stay  and  see  her." 

I  took  my  disappointment  with  as  good  grace  as  I 
could  and  endeavored  to  steel  myself  for  what  I  felt 
would  be  a  trying  ordeal. 

When  Astrsea  entered  the  room  it  was  as  though  a 
gleam,  of  sunshine  had  suddenly  illuminated  the  black- 
ness of  night.  She  slowly  looked  from  one  to  the 
other  of  us  and  with  her  eyes  resting  on  me  she 
smiled. 

Addressing  no  one  in  particular,  she  said :  "  Why 
have  I  been  sent  for  ?  " 

"  Because,  my  pet,"  answered  Mrs.  Brine,  "  you  are 
the  prettiest  one  in  the  prison  and  I  like  to  show  you 
to  my  friends." 

"  You  could  not  show  a  prettier  one,  that  is  cer- 
tain," said  the  dwarf  in  his  peculiar  oily  tone.  I 
turned  my  gaze  from  Astrsea  to  glance  at  the  speaker, 
and  I  saw  that  he  was  looking  at  the  girl,  fascinated. 
I  strongly  resented  such  impertinence. 

"  Surely,"  continued  this  caricature  of  a  man,  "  this 


244  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

girl  must  be  sane.  Such  loveliness  is  not  the  mark  of 
disordered  intellect." 

"  Must  be  sane !  "  cried  Mrs.  Brine.  "  She  is  about 
the  worst  in  the  whole  asylum !  " 

"  A  little  less  hasty,  Ate,"  went  on  the  dwarf. 
"  Think  again,  have  you  not  seen  signs  of  recovery  in 
her  case  ?  Surely  we  must  try  to  save  her,  for  I  never 
saw  a  creature  who  would  be  a  higher  ornament  to 
wifehood." 

These  words  produced  an  astonishing  effect  on  Mrs. 
Brine.  The  old  witch  jumped  up  from  her  seat,  and, 
grabbing  her  stick,  shook  it  menacingly  at  the  dwarf, 
while  her  eyes  gleamed  with  passion. 

"  You,  too !  "  she  shrieked.  "  An  ornament  to  wife- 
hood! It  is  bad  enough  to  hear  Ugla  talk  nonsense, 
but  you,  you  ugly  reprobate  —  bah,  you  must  be  fall- 
ing into  your  dotage!  An  ornament  to  wifehood! 
What  is  the  State  coming  to  when  men  like  you  get 
sickly  sentimental  over  a  sprig  of  a  girl?  I  suppose 
you  will  next  be  sighing  like  a  silly  fool  over  her  eye- 
brows. Now  tell  me,  is  not  her  skin  like  alabaster,  her 
lips  like  red  anemones,  and  her  hair,  tell  me,  what  are 
her  tresses  like  ?    Oh,  you  fool !  " 

"  Tut,  tut,  tut !  "  broke  in  the  dwarf,  making  an  im- 
patient gesture  with  his  one-fingered  hand.  "  You  are 
a  venomous  cat  when  you  are  jealous.    When  I  com- 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  245 

plimented  the  girl  I  did  so  without  prejudice  to  your- 
self. Do  not  think  me  remiss  in  proper  admiration 
of  the  paragon  whom  my  friend,  the  sea-surgeon,  has 
for  his  better  half." 

"Stop  it!  Stop  it!"  cried  Ugla,  stepping  in  be- 
tween Ate  and  the  dwarf.  "  You  shall  not  quarrel  in 
my  presence ! " 

Mrs.  Brine  for  an  instant  seemed  about  to  explode 
with  renewed  wrath,  but  a  change  quickly  came  over 
her,  and  she  laughed  instead. 

"You  are  an  insulting  wretch,"  she  said  between 
fits  of  hysterical  tittering.  "You're  such  a  giddy 
thing,  such  a  lady's  man.  Get  down  on  your  knees 
now  like  a  true  suitor  and  you  will  win  her  from 
her  mental  infirmities.  Tell  her  if  she  only  will  smile 
on  you  she  will  be  pronounced  cured  and  the  banns 
of  her  marriage  will  be  announced.  And  tell  her,  too, 
if  she  refuses  that  she  will  die  as  her  companion  in  the 
corridor  of  the  condemned  will  die  to-morrow !  " 

As  she  neared  the  end  of  her  climax  the  old  witch 
rose  to  her  full  height  and  spoke  with  the  solemn 
sternness  of  an  avenging  Nemesis.  I  shuddered  with 
horror  and  before  I  could  regain  the  semblance  of 
composure  I  heard  the  voice  of  Astraea  crying  out  in 
heartrending  accents : 

"Alene,    to  die    to-morrow!      Poor,    poor   Alene! 


246  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

What  harm  has  she  ever  done?  Tell  me,  what  harm 
has  she  done  ?  You  are  going  to  murder  her  and  for 
what  ?    Poor,  poor  Alene !  " 

I  saw  the  girl  sway  and  then  fall  to  the  floor.  She 
had  swooned.    I  was  by  her  side  in  an  instant. 

"  Water  !  "  I  cried  out.    "  Some  water,  quick !  " 

"  You  did  this  maliciously,  you  infernal  actress !  " 
exclaimed  the  dwarf  as  he  also  approached  the  pros- 
trate girl. 

"  Get  out,  every  one  of  you !  "  shrieked  the  witch. 
"  Go,  there's  the  door !  "  She  took  up  her  stick  and 
pointed  to  the  exit. 

"  A  nice  lot  of  goings-on  in  a  respectable  prison," 
she  continued.  "  And  don't  you  come  back  until  you 
learn  how  to  be  polite.    Go,  every  one  of  you  1 " 

''  But  some  water !  "  I  expostulated. 

The  irate  woman  turned  on  me  savagely  and 
cried : 

"  She's  only  fainted  and  your  assistance  is  not 
wanted.  All  you  need  to  worry  about  is  your  rival 
there." 

The  dwarf  and  Ugla  had  already  left,  muttering  to 
themselves,  and  I  parleyed  no  longer,  seeing  that  I 
should  be  driven  out  if  I  did  not  go.  As  I  left,  Ate 
burst  out  laughing  like  a  fiend. 

On  reaching  the  dormitory   I  hurried  to  find  the 


DOUBTFUL  ATTENTIONS  247 

doctor  and  asked  him  whether  there  was  to  be  a  pubHc 
execution  the  next  day.  He  looked  pained  and  sur- 
prised. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  to-morrow  is  the  Festival  of 
Kuglum.  It  is  a  public  holiday,  and  victims  are  de- 
livered to  the  kraken.  I  have  said  nothing  about  it  as 
I  wished,  if  possible,  to  keep  you  in  ignorance  of  it. 
How  do  you  come  to  know  of  it  ?  " 

In  reply  I  told  him  of  my  visit  to  the  prison.  He 
shook  his  head  gravely  and  for  a  long  time  remained 
in  deep  thought. 

"  Can  it  be  possible,"  he  said  at  last,  "  that  we  are  not 
governed  entirely  by  our  laws  alone?  I  will  not  hide 
from  you  that  I  have  had  grounds  for  suspicion  be- 
fore. But  no,  it  can  not  be,  our  laws  are  too  compre- 
hensive, too  rigid,  too  thorough,  to  admit  of  any  exer- 
cise of  personal  power.  Every  department  of  the 
State  works  automatically  in  obedience  to  statutes 
centuries  old." 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  do  not  changing  conditions  make 
new  laws  necessary  now  and  then  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  many  new  laws  are  constantly 
being  made,  but  these  new  laws  must  all  conform  to 
the  laws  governing  the  making  of  laws.  The  legis- 
lator can  no  more  exercise  his  personal  judgment  or 
will  than  the  judge  or  doctor.    If  you  should  become 


248  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

a  member  of  the  Vorunk  you  will  early  learn  this 
fact." 

Despite  his  dismissal  of  the  idea  of  individual  au- 
thority in  the  State  I  could  see  that  he  was  much 
worried,  and  from  his  close  questioning  and  the  re- 
marks he  dropped  now  and  then  it  was  evident  his 
credulous  faith  in  the  government  of  Atlantis  being 
a  pure  Democracy  was  considerably  shaken.  I  in- 
terrupted his  musing  by  declaring  my  intention  to  see 
Astrsea  that  very  night. 

"  Impossible !  "  said  he,  arousing  himself.  "  You 
shall  not  go !  The  danger  to-night  would  be  increased 
a  hundredfold.  There  will  be  many  going  and  coming 
in  the  lower  corridor  of  the  prison  and  detection 
would  be  almost  certain." 

I  begged  and  pleaded  with  him  but  he  remained 
obdurate,  and  I  was  forced  at  last  to  recognize  the 
wisdom  of  his  position.  We  remained  at  the  dor- 
mitory and  I  passed  a  sleepless  night 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE    FESTIVAL   OF   KUGLUM 

At  the  sound  of  the  morning-  bell  I  arose  and 
mechanically  prepared  for  breakfast.  Long  thinking 
on  the  terrible  fate  of  Astrsea's  companion  and  my 
utter  impotence  to  stay  the  ghastly  carnival  had  be- 
numbed my  faculties  so  that  I  went  through  the  entire 
day  like  a  passive  figure  in  a  gruesome  dream.  I  saw 
much  with  my  eyes  but  little  with  my  mind  and  I  am 
grateful  to  this  day  that  the  atrocities  of  the  Festival 
of  Kuglum  left  only  a  vague  impression  in  my 
memory,  like  that  of  some  unpleasant  nightmare  which 
we  gladly  forget  when  the  mind  awakes. 

I  was  dimly  aware  during  the  first  hour  of  the  day 
that  my  comrades  were  displaying  an  unwonted  in- 
terest in  life.  They  laughed  aloud  and  talked  in- 
cessantly, and  though  I  marveled  at  their  conduct  I 
gave  it  scarce  a  second's  thought  until  the  doctor 
whispered  in  my  ear,  telling  me  that  many  of  the 
laws  had  been  suspended  for  the  occasion  and  among 
them  'the  restriction  as  to  the  amount  of  daily 
speech. 

249 


250  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  How  awful,"  I  exclaimed,  "  that  the  sacrifice  of 
helpless  and  innocent  beings  should  be  made  the  oc- 
casion of  public  celebration !  " 

"  But  it  is  so,"  said  the  doctor,  hanging  his  head  as 
though  in  shame.  "  Ever  since  I  was  a  child  these 
holidays  have  filled  me  with  dread  and  with  a  loathing 
for  my  fellow  men.  The  memory  of  the  torture  and 
the  suffering  of  the  victims,  and  the  horror  of  seeing 
them  eaten  by  the  monster,  have  stayed  with  me  days 
at  a  time,  making  life  hideous  and  sometimes  well- 
nigh  unbearable.  Yet  these  creatures  here  about  us, 
this  rabble,  think  it  huge  sport  and  account  this  festi- 
val the  greatest  of  the  year.  Nothing  gives  them 
greater  pleasure  than  the  agony  through  which  others 
are  made  to  pass." 

At  breakfast  I  forced  myself  to  eat  my  share  and 
then  the  doctor  and  I  left  the  dormitory  for  the  "  fes- 
tivities," as  he  ironically  put  it.  In  the  street  we 
were  jostled  by  many  people,  all  hurrying  in  the 
same  direction.  I  had  never  seen  such  activity  dis- 
played in  Atlantis.  The  scene  reminded  me  of  the 
gay  throngs  that  my  home  city  was  wont  to  turn  out 
at  night  to  a  circus.  But  it  was  not  a  menagerie  of 
wild  animals  or  acrobatic  feats  that  these  people  were 
so  eager  to  see  —  such  amusement  would  have  been 
too  tame  for  them.     Nothing  short  of  a  spectacle  of 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM         251 

death  could  have  aroused  them  from  their  lethargy  or 
animated  their  wooden  countenances. 

A  short  walk  and  we  came  to  a  long  line  of  cars, 
the  lights  of  which  shone  with  ghostly  pallor  in  the 
semi-night.  Here  a  dense  crowd  was  engaged  in  a 
ceaseless  scramble  for  places  aboard  the  trains,  which, 
as  soon  as  they  were  filled,  started  swiftly  away.  Al- 
most before  I  knew  what  was  happening  there  was  a 
rush  all  about  me,  and  I  was  pushed  into  a  seat  on 
one  of  the  cars.  Then  came  a  whirl  of  motion  and 
looking  out  I  saw  the  giant  columns  of  crystal  rush- 
ing by  in  a  blur  of  light.  By  and  by  the  clanging  of 
many  gongs  was  heard,  the  car  stopped  and  we 
alighted.  Wedged  in  a  crowd  we  walked  at  a  snail's 
pace  between  long  rows  of  cars,  at  last  emerging  into 
a  highway  which  was  fully  two  hundred  feet  in  width. 
Before  us  was  a  high  embankment  running  at  right 
angles  to  the  road,  but  the  road  dipped  and  pierced  it 
with  a  mighty  arch  overhead.  Beneath  this  arch 
several  streams  of  humanity  from  as  many  directions 
converged,  and  the  concourse  that  poured  through  it 
was  like  a  mighty  river.  Arrived  on  the  far  side  of 
the  arch  I  beheld  a  spectacle  never  witnessed  on  the 
earth's  surface. 

It  v/as  that  of  an  amphitheater  of  prodigious  size 
being  rapidly  filled  with  thousands  of  people  in  scarlet 


252  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

garb  —  I  might  truly  say  with  hundreds  of  thousands, 
for  the  doctor  told  me  there  was  room  for  a  million; 
and  everywhere  I  looked  I  could  see  the  surging  of 
the  crowd,  even  into  the  most  distant  aisles,  where  the 
people  looked  like  insects.  I  gazed  blankly  at  this 
astounding  scene  of  animation.  The  place  was  simply 
a  great  pit  in  the  earth  the  half  of  a  circle  in 
shape.  A  solid  wall  rising  perpendicularly  as  high  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  formed  the  straight  side  of  the 
basin,  while  the  curving  sides  sloped  gradually  up- 
ward, giving  support  to  tier  after  tier  of  benches 
which  rose  one  above  the  other  to  a  height,  accord- 
ing to  the  doctor,  of  three  hundred  feet.  The  arena 
inclosed  by  the  semicircle  was  of  immense  dimen- 
sions and  an  elaborate  system  of  illumination  made 
the  whole  place  as  light  as  day. 

The  stream  of  people  coming  through  the  arch 
spread  out  like  a  delta  on  the  arena,  the  many  mouths 
of  which  poured  its  humanity  into  the  various  aisles. 
The  doctor  and  I  were  carried  along  in  a  resistless 
swirl  toward  an  aisle  on  the  far  side  of  the  amphi- 
theater. Up  this  we  clambered,  higher  and  higher 
until  we  were  quite  at  the  top,  where  we  found  seats. 
Here  we  had  a  remarkable  view  of  the  vast  spectacle. 
Having  feasted  my  eyes  with  the  stirring  scene  below, 
I  looked  to  the  right  and  saw  that  the  embankment 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM  253 

through  which  we  had  come  was  in  reality  a  portion 
of  one  of  the  sides  of  the  colosseum  and  that  on  its 
summit  ran  a  smooth  highway  which  apparently 
terminated  at  the  great  wall  in  front.  Looking  to 
the  rear  over  the  top  of  the  amphitheater  I  was 
astonished  to  find  that  the  land  stretched  away  prac- 
tically on  a  level  with  the  point  where  we  were  sitting, 
and  I  was  still  more  surprised  to  see  plainly  in  the 
distance  the  shining  monument  of  the  Federation  of 
Labor.  For  a  time  I  forgot  everything  else  in  ob- 
serving the  magnificent  panorama  about  and  below 
me  and  then  suddenly  I  remembered  the  frightful  sig- 
nificance of  the  gathering  of  this  myriad  host.  Once 
more  I  became  to  a  large  degree  oblivious  to  my  sur- 
roundings. 

By  and  by  I  felt  the  doctor  touch  me  on  the  arm  and 
I  heard  him  say : 

"Yonder  is  the  Crystalline  Wall  and  behind  it  is 
the  sea." 

I  looked  blankly  at  the  great  wall,  which  the  mul- 
titude faced,  and  idly  noted  how  the  light  was  re- 
flected from  its  surface  as  though  it  were  glass. 

"  So  you  call  it  the  Crystalline  Wall !  "  I  said  with 
an  effort  at  conversation.  "  I  can  see  that  it  is  very 
smooth  and  glossy.  One  can  almost  imagine  it  to  be  a 
great  curtain  to  some  mighty  stage." 


254  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  And  in  a  way  it  is,"  said  the  doctor. 

He  continued  to  speak,  but  I  did  not  hear  him ;  for 
at  that  moment,  while  looking  at  the  wall,  it  seemed 
to  vanish  suddenly  and  I  gazed  not  on  opaque  rock 
but  on  the  green  waters  of  the  deep ! 

"  Great  God !  "  I  exclaimed.    "  The  sea !  " 

At  the  same  moment  a  mighty  yell  went  up  from 
the  multitude,  and  I  grabbed  the  doctor,  panic- 
stricken. 

"  Don't  be  afraid !  "  he  cried  in  my  ear. 

Then  I  saw  that  the  waters  'remained  stationary, 
suspended,  as  it  were,  in  mid  air,  as  the  waters  of  the 
Red  Sea  were  suspended  when  the  Israelites  crossed 
over  dry-shod  to  the  wilderness,  I  quickly  recovered 
from  my  nervous  shock,  and  heard  the  doctor  say : 

'*  The  program  has  begun.  I  thought  you  knew  the 
wall  was  transparent.  It  is  made  of  marble  of  the 
same  character  as  that  of  the  monument.  The  turning 
on  of  the  lights  in  the  sea  is  the  signal  for  the  opening 
of  the  festivities." 

At  last  I  understood.  There  in  that  great  aquarium 
of  the  ocean  on  which  the  myriads  gazed,  must  lurk 
the  monster  which  was  about  to  be  fed  with  human 
lives ! 

The  mighty  sheet  of  green  extended  upward  and 
to  right  and  left  as  far  as  my  vli.Jn  reached.     Though 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM  255 

some  distance  from  it,  I  could  make  out  that  the  sea 
was  illuminated  to  a  considerable  depth.  I  could  see 
the  tops  of  the  spear-like  vegetation  at  the  ocean's 
bottom  and  higher  up  the  moving  forms  of  many  fish. 
Now  and  then  some  phosphorescent  species  shone 
like  fireflies  in  the  far  depths  and  then  a  larger  fish 
would  sweep  down  before  the  arena  and  seize  its 
prey.  The  multitude  yelled  its  delight  in  one  in- 
cessant din.  But  strain  my  eyes  as  I  would  I  could 
not  see  as  yet  any  signs  of  the  monster  which  was  to 
enact  a  leading  part  in  the  day's  events. 

A  sound  like  that  of  beating  tom-toms  in  the  dis- 
tance now  smote  upon  my  ear.  The  noise  grew 
steadily  in  volume,  rising  weirdly  above  the  shouting 
of  the  multitude.  The  doctor  pointed  to  the  entrance 
of  the  great  arch,  and  after  some  minutes  of  ex- 
pectant watching  I  saw  the  head  of  a  procession  enter 
the  arena.  First  there  came  a  company  of  decrepit 
men  and  women,  many  of  whom  leaned  forward  upon 
their  sticks.  They  were  dressed  in  black,  and  at  their 
head  was  a  dwarf  holding  a  black  flag.  It  was  diffi- 
cult for  me  to  see  because  of  the  distance,  but  before 
this  leader  reached  the  part  of  the  arena  nearest  me  I 
saw  that  he  was  the  dwarf  whom  I  had  met  the  day 
before.  The  old  witch,  Ate,  I  was  sure,  was  also  in 
that  motley  crew,  though  I  could  not  distinguish  her 


256  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

from  the  rest.  The  tom-toms  ceased  to  beat,  and  as 
the  black-robed  column  slowly  emerged  from  the  arch 
and  wound  about  the  arena  it  set  up  a  chant,  dis- 
cordant and  unearthly.  The  vast  assemblage  was  sud- 
denly hushed  into  silence,  as  though  fear  had  en- 
tered all  hearts,  or  was  it  that  the  horrid  noise  to  these 
people  was  like  that  of  the  sacred  songs  of  the  pro- 
cessional? The  black  train  stretched  nearly  the 
length  of  one  side  of  the  arena  before  its  end  had  ap- 
peared through  the  arch,  and  was  followed  by  three  or 
four  hundred  creatures  costumed  in  yellow  and  carry- 
ing drums  of  ancient  style.  After  these  came  some 
fifty  figures  in  grotesque  garb  like  masqueraders. 
Some  of  them  looked  like  devils,  some  like  clowns,  and 
others  like  the  painted  Indians  of  the  plains.  Next 
came  a  second  company  arrayed  in  black,  but,  unlike 
the  first  dressed  in  this  fashion,  these  wore  cowls 
which  hid  their  faces. 

Previous  to  the  appearance  of  these  creatures  noth- 
ing but  the  horrid  shrieking  of  the  chant  was  heard, 
but  now  the  whole  multitude  burst  out  in  a  savage  yell. 
At  the  same  time  those  with  the  drums  or  tom-toms 
set  furiously  to  work,  and  pandemonium  prevailed. 
In  the  midst  of  this  outburst  there  entered  beneath  the 
arch  a  score  of  white-clad  figures,  and  in  their  front 
rank  was  a  girl  with  long  tresses  hanging  down  her 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM  257 

back.  Some  of  them  walked  with  heads  erect  while 
others  seemed  to  falter  as  though  about  to  fall,  but 
the  girl  kept  her  face  turned  upward  as  if  she  were 
gazing  into  eternity.  These  were  the  victims,  and  it 
was  in  honor  of  their  entrance  that  the  demonstration 
was  made.  Behind  them  came  more  figures  in  cowls 
and  another  detachment  of  tom-tom  beaters.  The 
whole  procession  now  marched  about  the  arena,  the 
tom-toms  keeping  time,  and  the  weird  chant  rising 
and  falling  in  dismal  cadence.  I  kept  my  eyes  on 
the  figures  in  the  white  robes  and  as  they  came  closer 
I  saw  that  the  girl  with  flowing  hair  was  Alene,  the 
prison-mate  of  Astrzea.  She  had  said  she  did  not  fear 
to  die,  and  now  with  a  brave  heart  she  was  marching 
to  her  awful  doom.  There  she  was,  the  central  figure 
amid  a  million  fiends,  and  to  her  no  helping  hand 
could  be  extended. 

The  black-garbed  battalion  in  front,  which  the  doc- 
tor whispered  to  me  contained  the  heads  and  staffs 
of  all  the  departments  of  State,  had  made  one  entire 
circuit  of  the  arena  and  was  marching  close  beside  the 
great  green  wall,  when  another  immense  shout  burst 
from  the  multitude  and  the  entire  assemblage  with  one 
accord  arose,  stamping  its  feet  and  yelling. 

"  What  now  ?  "  I  cried  out  to  the  doctor. 

"  The  kraken !  "  said  the  doctor  pointing  to  the  sea. 


258  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

I  looked  quickly  and  at  that  moment  an  incredible 
monster  seemed  to  dash  itself  at  the  amphitheater.  I 
saw  two  immense  eyes,  a  cavernous  mouth  and  a 
dozen  great  arms  or  tentacles  all  flattened  against  the 
transparent  wall.  A  more  horrible  sight  I  have  never 
witnessed.  Though  I  knew  it  could  not  reach  me,  yet 
my  blood  ran  cold  and  terror  gripped  my  heart.  In 
an  instant  the  creature  had  gone  and  a  second  later 
it  came  again.  I  thought  I  could  hear  the  impact  of 
its  dash  against  the  wall.  I  now  saw  that  its  body 
was  as  large  as  a  whale's  and  covered  with  scales 
that  glistened  in  the  light.  Its  arms  reached  apparent- 
ly a  hundred  feet  in  length  and  seemed  as  large 
around  as  a  man's  body.  But  most  terrifying  were 
its  eyes,  which  looked  like  concave  lenses  about  five 
feet  in  diameter,  and  the  mouth,  capacious  as  a  hogs- 
head, which  contained  teeth  like  those  of  a  crocodile. 
I  never  before  knew  there  were  such  creatures  in  ail 
nature,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  scientists 
have  not  yet  obtained  specimens  of  the  larger  animal 
life  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

The  repeated  rushes  and  attacks  of  the  monster 
against  the  great  wall  made  the  vast  assemblage 
frantic  with  delight.  The  procession  stopped,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  furor  the  white-garbed  victims  were 
marched  close  to  the  green  wall.    Thankful  I  am  that 


The  attacks  of  the  monster  made  the  vast  assemblage  frantic 


with  delight. 


Page  258 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM  259 

I  could  not  see  their  faces  to  mark  the  blanched 
cheeks  and  the  terror  in  their  eyes.  I  could  see,  how- 
ever, that  some  of  them  fell  as  though  they  had 
fainted,  but  Alene  —  beautiful  Alene  —  still  stood  like 
a  statue  with  face  turned  upward. 

"  What  are  they  doing  now  ?  "  I  gasped. 

"  It  is  the  preliminary  ceremony  of  offering  the 
victims  to  the  monster,"  was  the  doctor's  reply. 
"  There,  you  can  see  them  lifting  one  of  them  up  to 
a  niche,  which  was  hollowed  out  in  the  wall  for  this 
purpose." 

I  strained  my  eyes  and  saw  two  of  the  black  cowls 
lift  a  white-robed  figure  four  or  five  feet,  and  stand 
it  in  a  small  cavity  in  the  wall  which  I  had  not  before 
noticed.  The  monster  made  an  instant  dive  for  the 
poor  creature  and  in  its  rage  at  being  balked,  struck 
fiercely  at  the  wall  with  its  huge  tentacles.  The  white 
figure  swayed  and  was  caught  by  the  creatures  in 
black,  while  the  assemblage  yelled  demoniacally. 

Then  another  figure  was  placed  in  the  niche  and 
still  another,  and  finally  it  was  Alene's  turn.  She 
stood  the  ordeal,  apparently  unmindful  of  her  sur- 
roundings, and,  despite  the  lunges  of  the  frightful 
beast  in  the  sea,  continued  to  gaze  upward  as  if  in 
prayer. 

The  procession  once  more  began  to  move  about  the 


26o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

arena,  and  then  out  through  the  arch.  The  doctor 
pointed  to  the  summit  of  the  opposite  embankment, 
and  in  a  short  time  I  saw  the  dwarf  and  his  black 
cohort  appear  over  the  crest  and  advance  along  the 
highway  at  the  top.  The  tom-toms  beat  and  the  weird 
line  stretched  itself  along  the  height.  When  the  head 
of  the  procession  reached  the  great  wall  it  broke  into 
two  reviewing  columns  while  through  the  center 
marched  the  victims  accompanied  by  the  creatures  in 
the  black  cowls.  A  silence  fell  on  the  multitude  and 
all  eyes  were  turned  to  catch  the  next  move  on  the 
program.  Then  two  figures  in  black,  with  one  in 
white  between  them,  began  to  walk  slowly  athwart  the 
green  sea-wall,  or  so  it  seemed,  but,  as  the  doctor  ex- 
plained, they  were  traversing  a  narrow  ledge  which 
was  not  apparent  from  where  we  sat.  On  they  went 
until  they  arrived  opposite  to  the  center  of  the  amphi- 
theater and  about  a  hundred  feet  above  the  arena.  As 
they  stood  facing  the  crowd  it  looked  as  if  they  were 
surrounded  by  the  waters  of  the  sea  and  would  fall 
easy  prey  to  the  monster.  But  the  wall  still  protected 
them,  and  the  plunging  of  the  kraken  was  without 
effect. 

"  You  can  not  see  it  very  well,"  said  the  doctor, 
"  but  over  the  head  of  the  victim  there  is  a  trans- 
parent hood,  impervious  to  water.     Do  you  see  the 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM  261 

large  bag  upon  his  back  ?  That  is  a  bladder  filled  with 
air  which  is  slowly  supplied  to  the  hood,  so  that  the 
victim  will  not  suffocate  in  the  water  before  the 
monster  seizes  him.  There  is  also  a  light  in  the  hood 
to  illuminate  the  features.  It  is  a  devilish  device  to 
enable  the  people  to  see  the  horror  on  the  face  of  the 
condemned  as  he  is  about  to  be  swallowed  by  the 
monster." 

While  the  doctor  was  talking  the  three  had  re- 
ceded somewhat  into  the  wall. 

"  They  are  now  in  the  sea-chamber,"  he  explained. 
"  It  is  a  small  compartment  that  fills  rapidly  with 
water.  Those  in  black  have  now  put  on  their  breath- 
ing apparatus.  But  look!  They  are  already  opening 
the  small  sea-door." 

The  amphitheater  was  now  silent  as  the  tomb,  so 
intense  was  the  interest.  Looking  fascinated  at  the 
three  figures  suspended  there  between  sea  and  air,  I 
now  saw  the  ones  in  black  seize  the  victim  in  white 
and  hurl  him  apparently  out  into  the  sea.  The  white 
figure  fell  head-first  some  fifty  feet  and  then  its  arms 
frantically  beat  the  water.  At  this  instant  the 
monster  appeared  and  a  huge  tentacle  reached  out  for 
the  struggling  victim  and  grasped  it.  I  was  spell- 
bound with  horror.  I  tried  to  turn  my  eyes  away, 
but  could  not.     The  illuminated  hood  shone  brightly 


262  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

on  the  darker  background  of  the  sea,  but  happily  I 
could  not  see  the  agony  on  the  face  because  of  the 
distance.  There  was  a  swaying  motion  of  the 
gigantic  arm  and  the  body  in  its  grasp  was  lashed 
rapidly  through  the  water  first  one  way  and  then  the 
other.  Then  came  a  longer  swing,  the  bright  spot  shot 
through  the  sea  and  in  a  twinkling  disappeared, 
swallowed  by  the  yawning  mouth, —  the  dreadful  scene 
was  over. 

The  assemblage  had  been  wrought  up  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement,  and  now  that  the  tension  was 
relieved  it  yelled  like  a  million  demons.  I  closed  my 
ears  with  my  hands  to  keep  out  the  hideous  noise. 
There  is  no  more  frightful  sound  than  that  of  a  mob 
frenzied  with  jo)'^  over  the  taking  of  human  life  and 
the  diabolic  ingenuity  of  the  execution  just  consum- 
mated magnified  the  heinousness  of  its  wild  transports 
a  hundredfold. 

There  was  one  atavar  the  less  to  threaten  the  per- 
manency of  the  Democracy,  but  the  eyes  of  the  mon- 
ster still  shone  with  appetite  unappeased.  On  the 
height  the  tom-toms  beat  and  the  chant  was  sung, 
while  below  in  the  arena  there  reappeared  the  figures 
in  grotesque  garb,  who  began  to  circle  round  and 
round  in  single  file,  giving  vent  to  a  monotonous  re- 
frain as  they  glided  rhythmically  along.     Faster  and 


THE  FESTIVAL  OF  KUGLUM  263 

faster  they  went  and  louder  and  louder  grew  the  re- 
frain. It  was  the  dance  of  the  savage  tribe  over  again. 
I  gazed  heart-sick  on  the  scene  and  turning  to  the 
doctor  said : 

"  Yonder  savage  dance  —  this  fiendish  multitude  — 
do  you  know  what  it  all  proves  to  me?  It  proves  that 
there  is  reversal  of  type  in  Atlantis,  a  return  to  the 
traits  of  ancient  ancestry;  but  it  is  the  multitude  that 
are  the  atavars  and  not  those  poor  wretches  that  are 
being  fed  to  the  monster.  Come,  can  we  get  away 
from  this  ?    I  am  sick,  I  can  stand  no  more !  " 

"  I,  too,  have  seen  more  than  I  cared  to  look  on," 
he  said ;  and  glancing  behind  him  he  continued :  "  Let 
us  climb  over  the  edge  of  the  amphitheater  —  there 
IS  the  level  land  only  a  few  feet  below." 

This  we  did  and  encircling  the  upper  rim  of  the 
great  caldron  of  humanity  we  made  our  way  down  the 
farther  embankment  and  lost  ourselves  in  a  crowd  that 
could  not  find  room  within  the  amphitheater.  The 
last  glimpse  I  had  of  the  atrocious  spectacle  was 
Alene,  poor  innocent,  beautiful  Alene,  walking  be- 
tween two  black  figures  along  the  ledge  of  the  wall. 
Her  face  was  still  turned  upward  as  though  she  saw 
something  above  that  gave  her  fortitude  and  hope. 

"  Great  God,"  I  muttered,  "  let  Thy  curse  rest  upon 
this  people !  "    And  the  doctor  responded  "  Amen !  " 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

T    AM    MADE   A    MEMBER    OF   THE   VORUNK 

On  the  day  following  the  Festival  of  Kuglum,  At- 
lantis returned  to  its  humdrum  existence  as  though 
nothing  had  occurred  to  interrupt  its  profound 
placidity.  My  comrades  of  the  dormitory  went  to  their 
tasks  with  their  characteristic  stolidity  and  hopeless- 
ness, thinking,  I  presume,  if  they  thought  at  all.  of  the 
evening  when  they  might  smoke  the  weed  and  drug 
their  decadent  sensibilities  into  a  false  glow  of  en- 
thusiasm over  the  virtue  of  working  each  for  all  and 
all  for  each.  Poor  miserable  dupes  of  the  beautiful 
dream  of  socialism,  who  never  knew  the  pride  of  pos- 
session, the  glory  of  attainment,  the  sharpening  of  wits 
against  wits,  the  joy  of  true  friendship  or  the  tender 
yearnings  of  love,  who  v/ere  clamped  as  in  a  vise  in 
one  unending,  dreary,  damnable  round,  wretched  slaves 
in  a  mighty  treadmill, —  who  could  but  pity  them? 

Deprive  men  of  individual  independent  participa- 
tion in  that  struggle  which  characterizes  nature,  and 
you  take  from  them  all  that  makes  life  worth  the 
living  and  they  become  as  walking  dead  men.     Even 

264 


MADE  A  MEMBER  OF  VORUNK       265 

had  Atlantis  been  filled  with  milk  and  honey,  and 
labor  had  been  unnecessary,  yet  would  her  people  have 
been  worthy  of  great  commiseration,  for  no  system  of 
socialism  can  be  devised  or  dreamed  of  which  does 
not  take  away  that  great  incentive  to  mental  develop- 
ment which  individual  responsibility  for  one's  own 
destiny  imposes.  Unless  men  are  forced  to  think 
from  hour  to  hour  and  day  to  day,  they  will  neglect 
to  think  and  inevitably  in  the  end  they  will  lose  the 
pow^r  to  think,  and  when  men  are  no  longer  think- 
ing animals  they  will  be  savages  and  possibly  apes 
again.  When  "  You  must  "  takes  the  place  of  "  I  will  " 
in  the  government  of  mankind,  then  the  race  will  be- 
come refuse  on  the  shores  of  eternity.  May  the  Angel 
Gabriel  proclaim  the  day  of  judgment  before  that  fate 
overwhelms  it! 

The  doctor  was  doggedly  at  work  making  ex- 
plosives, and  I  was  giving  vent  to  some  of  the 
thoughts  I  have  just  expressed,  when  we  were  hon- 
ored with  a  call  from  an  emissary  of  the  Department 
of  Vocations.  This  individual  looked  about  the 
laboratory  inquiringly  and,  addressing  me,  said : 

"I  have  come,  stranger  from  another  land,  to  an- 
nounce to  you  that  citizenship  No.  489  A  D  G  has 
been  conferred  on  you,  by  which  number  you  will  here- 
after be  known.    I  am  also  to  inform  you  that  it  has 


266  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

been  determined  by  lot  that  you  shall  be  a  member  of 
the  Vorimk.    Your  duties  will  begin  to-morrow." 

"  A  member  of  the  Vorunk ! "  I  exclaimed,  the 
memory  of  my  conversation  with  the  dwarf  rushing 
back  into  my  mind. 

"  Yes,"  continued  the  inspector  politely,  "  I  regret 
that  such  is  the  case.  The  position  is  not  one  that  is 
generally  looked  on  as  desirable,  if  it  can  be  said 
that  one  position  is  more  desirable  than  another.  The 
hours  are  long,  being  from  eight  in  the  morning  until 
nine  in  the  evening,  with  an  hour  for  dinner,  and  the 
work  is  laborious,  as  you  will  be  required  to  read 
many  documents  and  construct  bills.  I  know  of  no 
more  painful  task  than  that  of  exercising  the  brain  in 
reading  and  composition,  but  then  there  is  a  necessity 
for  this  work  which  can  not  be  avoided  and  some  one 
must  do  it.  You  are  merely  unfortunate  in  that  lot- 
tery of  chance  to  which  all  must  submit  when  the 
time  comes  for  the  selection  of  the  work  they  shall 
perform  for  our  beloved  Democracy." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  more  about  that  lottery  of  chance 
of  which  you  speak,"  I  returned  with  nonchalance. 

The  inspector  became  patronizing  in  his  manner 
and  said : 

"  It  is  my  duty  to  give  any  information  that  you 
may  desire,  providing  it  is  not  contrary  to  the  interests 


MADE  A  MEMBER  OF  VORUNK       267 

of  the  nation.  You  see,  No.  489,  the  Department  of 
Vocations  has  a  great  wheel  which  revolves  on  a 
pivot  and  which  absolutely  assures  equality  in  the 
distribution  of  jobs.  On  the  rim  of  this  wheel  are 
the  names  of  all  the  occupations  in  Atlantis,  each 
occupation  receiving  a  certain  space  depending  on 
its  numerical  importance.  By  careful  computation  it 
has  been  ascertained  that,  approximately  speaking, 
one-fourth  of  the  workers  are  required  to  perform  the 
duties  of  inspectorship,  and  therefore  one-fourth  of 
the  rim  of  the  wheel  is  allotted  to  that  occupation. 
Agricultural  pursuits  require  another  fourth  and  hence 
are  given  a  corresponding  space  on  the  wheel,  while 
the  remaining  half  of  the  rim  is  largely  taken  up  by 
such  vocations  as  those  in  the  mines,  the  fisheries, 
the  factories,  the  public  kitchens,  and  so  on.  Only  a 
small  segment  remains  for  a  variety  of  occupations 
such  as  the  judgeships,  the  generals  of  the  industrial 
army,  the  heads  of  departments  and  the  members  of 
the  Vorunk, —  the  latter,  indeed,  being  so  few  in  num- 
ber, receive  a  mere  dot  on  the  wheel's  circumference. 
When  the  occupation  of  a  citizen  is  to  be  determined, 
the  wheel  is  revolved  rapidly,  and  when  it  stops  the 
part  of  the  rim  opposite  a  stationary  pointer  indicates 
the  kind  of  work  he  shall  do.  Do  you  understand 
my  explanation  ?  " 


268  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Perfectly,  perfectly,"  I  replied  with  feigned  ad- 
miration. "  You  have  described  to  me  what  on  earth 
is  known  as  a  wheel  of  fortune,  only  I  hope  your 
wheel  is  better  than  some  I  have  heard  of,  which  ex- 
hibit a  remarkable  persistency  in  winning  all  the  large 
bets  and  losing  only  the  small  ones." 

"  I  hardly  understand  your  allusion,"  rejoined 
the  extraordinarily  polite  inspector,  "  but  you  know 
that  what  is  is ;  and  fate,  as  expressed  in  the  wheel, 
has  willed  you  to  be  a  member  of  the  Vorunk."  He 
made  a  deprecatory  gesture  with  his  hand,  and,  turn- 
ing to  the  doctor,  said : 

"  It  is  stated  you  keep  very  close  to  your  laboratory 
these  days.  What,  may  I  ask,  are  you  now  experi- 
menting on?  " 

The  doctor  had  the  appearance  of  a  man  struck 
dumb  with  astonishment  during  the  conversation  be- 
tween the  inspector  and  myself,  but  now  a  slight  flush 
suffused  his  brow.  I  was  anxious  as  to  what  he  would 
say,  but  he  rose  to  the  occasion. 

*'  I  am  hunting,"  he  said  slowly  and  hesitatingly, 
"  for  the  elixir  of  life ;  but  it  is  very  elusive  and  foils 
me  just  when  I  think  I  am  on  the  brink  of  success." 

The  inspector,  aroused  almost  to  the  point  of  en- 
thusiasm, picked  up  some  of  the  gunpowder  and 
crushing  it  between  his  fingers,  said : 


MADE  A  MEMBER  OF  VORUNK       269 

"  It  is  very  interesting  and  I  hope  you  will  succeed, 
for  I  know  of  some  to  whom  your  success  would  be 
very  welcome  news.  But  now  I  must  bid  you  both 
good  day,  as  I  have  many  others  to  call  on." 

When  the  inspector  bowed  himself  out  and  the  door 
was  closed  the  doctor  began  to  pace  up  and  down  his 
little  room  like  a  caged  animal. 

As  for  myself  I  must  acknowledge  that  I  was  filled 
with  despair  and  bitterness.  Would  not  this  call  to 
the  Vorunk  be  followed  by  orders  for  my  marriage  to 
Ugla,  and  would  not  Astrsea  be  handed  over  to  his 
majesty,  the  dwarf?  I  saw  the  web  closing  in  about 
me  and  pictured  both  myself  and  Astrsea  walking  the 
ledge  of  the  great  green  wall.  In  the  midst  of  this 
somber  meditation  the  doctor  queried: 

"  It  can  not  be  a  coincidence  that  the  wheel  should 
have  stopped  with  the  pointer  on  the  dot  making  you 
a  member  of  the  assembly  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  replied,  "  coincidence  in  this  case  is  im- 
possible. My  suspicions  have  been  confirmed.  They 
deliberately  showed  me  where  the  power  in  the  State 
lies  and  they  relied  on  my  judgment  to  see  that  it 
would  be  to  my  interest  to  serve  them.  If  I  should 
not  accept  their  terms  including  my  marriage  to  Ugla, 
they  have  only  to  order  my  execution.  There  are  more 
atavars  in  Atlantis  than  you  have  dreamed  of,  and 


270  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

they  are  not  all  to  be  found  behind  prison  bars  either, 
I  can  assure  you." 

"  What  a  fool  I  have  been !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor, 
shaking  his  head,  "  I  agree  with  you  —  your  ex- 
perience conclusively  proves  that  the  powers  of  the 
State  have  been  usurped  by  individuals.  While  I  have 
been  searching  all  my  life  for  good  atavars,  behold,  the 
evil  ones  have  been  using  me  as  a  tool !  But  to  think 
that  we  should  be  governed  by  blear-eyed  hags  and 
dwarfs,  who  never  had  a  wholesome  thought  in  all  their 
miserable  lives  !     Oh,  it  is  terrible,  terrible !  " 

"  Your  Democracy,"  I  remarked  after  a  pause,  "  is 
only  an  illustration  of  the  impossibility  of  equalizing 
the  powers  of  government  among  all  the  people.  Au- 
thority must  be  lodged  somewhere.  Nowhere  in 
nature  do  we  find  community  life  without  some  gov- 
erning head.  Take  the  bees  —  they  have  their  queens, 
and  the  ants  their  slaves.  As  for  man,  never  in  all 
history  has  there  been  a  nation  which  did  not  have  its 
leaders  and  rulers.  The  powers  of  sovereignty,  re- 
strict them  as  you  will,  must  be  wielded  by  individ- 
uals. There  is  but  one  course  to  be  pursued  now,  and 
that  is  to  show  a  seeming  compliance  to  the  will  of  the 
powders  that  be  while  we  pursue  our  efforts  to  escape ; 
and  if,  after  doing  all  in  our  power  to  escape,  we  fail, 
then  we  can  go  to  our  doom  resigned  to  our  fate." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE     DWARF     FURNISHES     INFORMATION     ABOUT     THE 
VORUNK 

The  next  morning  found  me  in  the  Capitol  of  At- 
lantis, that  elaborate  structure  of  stone  with  innumer- 
able offices  and  many  floors  and  corridors  of  which  I 
have  spoken.  The  hall  of  the  Vorunk,  the  scene  of  my 
future  labors,  was  in  a  remote  and  ill-ventilated  por- 
tion of  the  building,  being  on  the  fifth  or  bottom  floor 
of  the  basement  and  about  a  mile's  walk  from  the  main 
entrance.  Had  I  looked  on  my  tenure  of  office  as 
anything  more  than  temporary  I  should  have  been 
much  chagrined  because  of  the  ill-favored  locality  of 
the  chamber,  which  I  thought  could  have  been  put  to  a 
more  proper  use  as  a  burial-place  for  musty  docu- 
ments. As  it  was  I  did  not  care  whether  the  Vorunk 
met  near  the  center  of  the  earth  or  on  top  of  the 
brilliant  monument  of  the  Federation  of  Labor. 

Nevertheless,  I  entered  the  dismal  crypt  with  all 
the  humility  that  becomes  a  new  member,  and  was  met 
by  his  smiling  lordship,  the  dwarf,  who  piloted  me  to 
a  seat  in  the  midst  of  the  august  assembly.  Glancing 
about  I  found  that  the  august  assembly  consisted  of  a 

271 


2^2  THE  SCARLET  E:vIPIRE 

score  of  solemn-looking  men,  mostly  gray-headed,  and 
all  garbed  in  the  plain  democratic  habiliments  of  the 
common  people.  I  noticed  particularly  that  the  brows 
of  all  except  those  of  the  dwarf  were  corrugated  with 
horizontal  wrinkles  as  though  they  were  all  afflicted 
with  severe  headaches,  superinduced,  I  surmised,  by 
heavy  thinking.  The  dwarf's  presence  did  not  sur- 
prise me  —  in  fact,  I  should  have  been  disappointed 
had  I  not  met  him.  Neither  was  I  surprised  when  I 
learned  that  he  was  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
to  which  all  bills  wer^  referred.  It  seemed  a  little 
queer  that  one  committee  sufficed  for  a  national 
parliament,  but  then  it  was  a  queer  parliament.  The 
dwarf  had  me  take  the  customary  oath  to  obey  the 
laws,  and  then  escorted  me  into  an  anteroom,  leaving 
one  of  my  colleagues  reading  something  about  the  acts 
as  to  kissing  in  the  year  one  after  the  deluge.  Having 
shown  me  to  a  seat  the  hideous  creature  was  good 
enough  to  put  me  at  ease  by  saying  he  hoped  I  was 
well  and  would  like  my  employment.  Then  in  the 
manner  of  a  man  proud  of  his  country's  institutions 
he  asked  me  how  I  liked  it. 

"  Like  what  ?  "  I  asked  imperturbably. 

"  The  Vorunk,  of  course,"  he  replied. 

"  Oh,"  I  said,  "  it  does  pretty  well.    I  see  you  have 
hidden  it  away  as  far  as  possible.     That's  a  splendid 


THE  DWARF  AND  THE  VORUNK      273 

idea.  I  have  seen  some  other  legislative  bodies  in  ray 
time  that  it  would  have  been  well  to  have  buried  like 
this  one.  You  have  no  idea  how  insufferable  are  some 
of  the  legislators  in  my  land  —  they  are  for  ever  flaunt- 
ing themselves  before  the  people  as  possessors  of 
supernatural  wisdom  —  it  is  very  disgusting,  I  assure 
you.  Socialism,  I  see,  has  found  the  remedy.  I  don't 
suppose  any  one  ever  cares  to  come  here  to  hear  the 
silver-tongued  oratory  of  the  members,  now  do 
they?" 

"  No,"  said  the  dwarf  with  undisturbed  equanimity. 
"  It  is  not  a  matter  of  common  interest  what  the  hon- 
orable members  have  to  say.  No  one  ever  comes  to 
hear  them,  and  only  their  brother  members  are  re- 
quired to  listen  to  their  eloquence." 

"  This  is  very  interesting,"  I  rejoined,  "  and  in- 
cidentally just  as  it  should  be.  But  it  seems  to  me 
you  are  failing  to  make  use  of  a  ready  means  of  pun- 
ishment if  you  do  not  provide  that  certain  offenders 
should  be  sentenced  to  listen  to  the  debates." 

"  You  have  an  acute  intellect,"  he  remarked  in  turn. 
"  I  shall  make  a  note  of  your  suggestion,  or,  better 
still,  you  might  draw  up  a  bill  amending  the  punitive 
code." 

"  I  do  not  suppose,  judging  from  what  I  have  al- 
ready learned,   that  there   could  possibly  be  such   a 


274  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

thing  as  a  shorthand  report  being  made  of  the  pro- 
ceedings?" I  now  asked. 

"  Oh,  no,  that  would  be  useless  labor.  Only  copies 
of  the  laws  passed  are  put  in  the  record." 

"  Excellent !  "  I  remarked.  "  You  have  no  idea  of 
the  amount  of  printing  wasted  in  America  in  making 
oiiicial  reports  of  proceedings.  Thousands  of 
volumes  are  constantly  issued  which  nobody  ever 
thinks  of  reading.  I  also  infer,  from  what  you  have 
told  me,  that  the  members  of  the  Vorunk  do  not  be- 
come public  characters,  courted  and  looked  up  to  when 
they  go  out  among  the  people  ?  "  I  propounded  this 
question  rather  anxiously. 

''  Such  a  thing  would  be  quite  unsocialistic,"  the 
dwarf  replied  with  the  suggestion  of  a  smile.  "  The 
member  of  the  Vorunk  is  necessarily  very  limited  in 
his  acquaintances  and  as  for  the  general  public  it  can 
not  tell  him  from  any  one  else,  and,  if  it  could,  it 
would  have  no  more  regard  for  him  than  for  any  one 
else." 

"  And  there  is  no  publication  heralding  the  doings 
of  the  members  ?  " 

"  None." 

I  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  It  is  well,"  I  said.  "  What  is  fame,  after  all,  but 
empty   nothingness?     It   is   queer   how   men    on   the 


THE  DWARF  AND  THE  VORUNK     275 

earth  will  sweat  and  stew  for  what  they  all  in  their 
saner  moments  deride  as  hollow  mockery.  How 
thoughtful  it  is  of  the  Democracy  to  keep  men  from 
following-  after  strange  gods  —  what  an  immense 
amount  of  human  energy  is  prevented  from  going  to 
waste !  " 

The  conversation  continued  in  this  pleasant  strain 
for  some  time  and  at  last  drifted  into  a  discussion  of 
the  uselessness  of  elections.  The  dwarf  seemed  to 
have  the  theme  very  much  at  heart. 

"  Even  in  the  old  days  of  barbarian  government," 
said  he,  "  the  elective  system  was  found  to  be  a  poor 
means  of  ascertaining  the  will  of  the  majority.  The 
political  m.achinery  had  a  way  of  falling  into  the 
hands  of  a  small  minority,  and  only  occasionally  could 
the  majority,  by  extraordinary  efforts,  break  the  ma- 
chines. After  the  principle  was  recognized  that  the 
majority  possessed  rights  superior  to  any  the  in- 
dividual might  claim,  it  became  absolutely  necessary 
that  a  better  method  than  that  of  the  ballot-box  be 
found  in  order  to  assure  the  permanent  supremacy 
of  the  majority.  In  fact  it  was  found  that  the  elective 
system  was  thoroughly  and  completely  inconsistent 
with  socialism.  No  sooner  would  the  majority  elect 
representatives  to  form  the  government  than  these 
representatives    would    become    a    minority,    and   a 


Q.'je  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

minority,    too,    with    power    to    make    the    majority 
obey  it. 

"  Although  it  became  the  fashion  to  confiscate  the 
property  of  the  members  of  a  defeated  party  and  even 
convert  them  into  slaves  of  the  members  of  the  suc- 
cessful party,  and  although  there  were  many  official 
appointments  of  profit  and  many  special  privileges  to 
be  granted,  yet  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  any  ad- 
ministration to  satisfy  the  demands  of  all  its  adherents. 
Far  from  succeeding  in  doing  this,  every  new  set  of 
officials  incurred  the  common  fate  of  their  predecessors 
in  being  charged  with  base  ingratitude  by  the  larger 
portion  of  their  following,  long  before  their  terms  of 
office  expired.  You  may  well  imagine  that  a  con- 
dition of  considerable  instability  resulted, —  a  con- 
dition which  was  by  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  to 
be  considered  as  serving  the  ends  of  equality.  At 
last  it  came  about  that  a  majority  determined  to 
abolish  the  elective  system  entirely.  Certain  funda- 
mental laws  were  adopted  which  could  never  be  re- 
pealed and  among  these  laws  were  those  providing 
for  equal  compensation,  the  allotment  of  occupations 
by  means  of  the  wheel  and  the  regulation  of  marriage 
by  the  State." 

"  The  genesis  of  the  automatic  impersonal  system 
of  government  is  remarkable,"  I  ventured  to  remark. 


THE  DWARF  AND  THE  VORUNK     277 

"The  mechanical  geniuses  on  the  earth  have  long 
dreamed  of  perpetual  motion,  and  I  httle  thought 
when  living  there  that  I  should  ever  see  anything  re- 
sembling it  in  actual  operation.  I  am  surprised  that 
there  should  be  anything  for  the  Vorunk  to  do." 

"In  that  you  are  mistaken,"  he  rejoined.  "Here 
is  a  set  of  rules  for  the  guidance  of  the  Vorunk  and 
you  should  carefully  consider  them." 

He  handed  me  a  printed  card  that  looked  like  the 
notice  tacked  on  the  doors  of  hotel  bedrooms.  It  read 
as  follows:   • 

READ  CAREFULLY 

Rules  for  the   Making  of  Laws 

1.  No  laws  shall  be  passed  that  are  in  conflict  with  the 
organic  laws  of  the  Social  Democracy. 

2.  The  test  that  every  proposed  law  should  stand  is: 
Does  it  aim  for  more  complete  uniformity  as  to  the  food, 
sleeping  accommodations,  attire,  speech,  opinions,  actions,' 
personal  appearance  and  methods  of  working  of  the  individ- 
uals composing  the  State?  In  order  that  complete  equality 
exist  it  should  be  the  constant  effort  of  the  Vorunk  to  rem- 
edy any  defects  in  the  present  laws  under  which  any  indi- 
vidual may  in  any  wise  possess  characteristics  distinguishing 
him  from  others  or  enjoy  favors  not  enjoyed  by  all.  Acts 
that  do  not  meet  with  the  requirements  of  this  rule  are  null 
and  void. 

3.  As  the  greatest  crime  that  can  be  committed  is  that  of 


278  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

disobedience  to  the  State  it  is  the  high  prerogative  of  the 
Vorunk  to  determine  on  the  proper  punishments  for  the 
various  grades  of  disloyalty  and  treason,  and  in  fulfilling 
this  duty  it  should  be  remembered  that  laws  of  this  charac- 
ter can  not  be  too  drastic. 

4.  Any  member  of  the  Vorunk  who  shall  propose  laws  that 
are  unsocialistic  shall  be  thrown  to  the  krakeru 

Having  read  this  document  I  volunteered  the  re- 
mark that  after  some  centuries  of  continuous  labor 
on  the  part  of  the  Vorunk  there  ought  to  be  very 
little  left  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  passing  laws  to 
correct  minor  inequalities. 

"  I  must  confess,"  replied  the  dwarf,  "  that  the  field 
of  possible  enactments  to  perfect  equality  has  been 
narrowed  very  greatly,  but  human  activity  has  a  wide 
range,  and  it  is  surprising,  when  you  come  to  study 
into  the  subject,  how  many  things  the  individual  may 
yet  do  independent  of  State  guidance.  Tlie  Vorunk 
must  engage  in  much  research  and  study  existing  con- 
ditions carefully,  to  see  how  these  matters  that  have 
so  far  escaped  legislation  may  be  grappled  with. 
Again,  all  the  departments  of  State  make  reports  to 
the  body,  and  it  is  necessary  to  digest  these  reports 
and  adopt  measures  now  and  then  that  will  prevent 
overlapping  in  the  work  of  the  bureaus,  eliminating 
unnecessary  employments  and  providing  for  the  ade- 
quate carrying  out  of  that  which  necessity  imposes. 
There  is  enough  to  keep  you  well  engaged,  my  friend." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

I    BECOME   THE   AUTHOR   OF   VARIOUS   EXCELLENT   LAWS 

Several  weeks  now  passed,  weeks  full  of  anxiety 
and  bitterness,  with  intermittent  periods  of  hope  and 
self-assurance.  They  were  also  weeks  of  strenuous 
work,  for  I  threw  myself  into  my  duties  as  a  legis- 
lator as  though  I  had  a  reputation  to  make,  and  in 
truth  I  had,  for  I  wished  to  stand  well  with  the  powers 
that  were  and  disarm  their  suspicions,  if  any  they  had. 
Then,  too,  there  was  the  enterprise  to  blow  up  the 
monument.  All  the  preparations  for  the  final  act,  even 
to  the  lighting  of  the  fuse,  were  fortunately  completed 
without  discovery.  Lastly,  and  needless  to  say  the 
most  important  of  all,  these  weeks  were  rendered 
blessed  in  my  memory  by  my  secret  visits  to  Astreea, 
when  she  and  I  would  for  a  few  fleeting  hours  drink 
deep  of  happiness  made  all  the  more  precious  by  the 
perils  which  surrounded  us.  These  visits  never  failed 
to  lift  me  from  despondency  and  imbue  me  with  new 
determination  to  escape  the  clutches  of  the  Democracy. 
When  I  told  Astrsea  of  my  fears  as  to  the  designs  of 
the  State  to  marry  her  to  the  dwarf  she  simply  said : 

279 


28o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  I  shall  never  marry  any  one  but  you,  even  though 
I  suffer  the  fate  of  Alene." 

She  was  ever  looking  into  the  future  with  faith  in 
my  power  to  triumph  over  all  obstacles  and  yet  I  could 
see  that  the  death  of  Alene  had  affected  her  deeply, 
that  to  her  Alene  was  a  saint  whose  example  had  in- 
spired her  with  strength  and  resignation.  The  brave 
girl  endeavored  to  show  me  that  she  did  not  fear  to 
die,  as  though  to  prepare  me  against  the  coming  of  the 
worst. 

In  the  Vorunk  I  had  introduced  several  measures 
which  the  dwarf,  as  chairman  of  the  only  committee 
of  that  body,  reported  on  favorably  and  commented  on 
very  kindly.  These  measures  were  by  their  titles  as 
follows : 

A  Bill  to  Regulate  the  Trimming  of  Finger  Nails. 

A  Bill  Requiring  the  Use  of  the  Left  Arm  as  Much  as 
the  Right. 

A  Bill  Providing  for  the  Equal  Use  of  the  Maxillary 
Muscles  on  Both  Sides  of  the  Mouth  in  the  Act  of  Masti- 
cating Food. 

A  Bill  Requiring  Every  Individual  to  Laugh  Aloud  Once 
Every  Hour,  and  Providing  Inspectors  for  the  Enforcement 
of  the  Act. 

A  Bill  to  Abolish  Snoring  at  Night  in  Dormitories. 

A  Bill  Providing  for  the  Removal  of  the  Wealth  of  the 
Ancients  beyond  the  Temptation  of  Future  Generations. 


VARIOUS  EXCELLENT  LAWS  281 

Perhaps  the  titles  of  these  bills  are  sufficiently  il- 
luminating as  to  their  nature,  but  I  will,  nevertheless, 
make  a  few  remarks  concerning  them.  From  the  very 
inception  of  my  legislative  career  I  was  oppressed  by 
the  apparent  impossibility  of  devising  new  ways  to 
limit  the  freedom  of  the  individual,  and  it  took  much 
study  to  devise  the  measures  here  spoken  of.  I  had 
my  first  inspiration  when  I  noticed  the  great  ir- 
regularity in  the  way  my  comrades  cut  their  finger 
nails,  and  in  drawing  up  this,  my  first  bill,  I  in- 
corporated a  suggestion  of  the  dwarf's,  providing  that 
those  who  cut  their  nails  straight  across  instead 
of  round  should  be  compelled  to  listen  to  the  debates 
in  the  Vorunk  for  certain  specified  times  according 
as  it  was  the  first,  second  or  third  offense.  In  order 
to  make  sure  that  they  listened  I  provided  that 
offenders  should  pass  an  examination  as  to  what  they 
learned  from  the  debates. 

Regarding  the  left-arm  bill  I  observed  that  the 
muscles  in  the  right  arms  of  my  comrades  were 
much  more  developed  than  those  in  the  left,  that  in 
point  of  fact  many  left  arms  were  little  more  than 
skin  and  bones.  Being  naturally  solicitous  for  the 
welfare  of  the  country  I  hastened  to  rectify  a  con- 
dition so  palpably  at  variance  with  proper  ideas  as  to 
true  equality.     I  also  used  the  argument  very  effect- 


282  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

ively  with  my  colleagues  that,  whereas  a  certain 
amount  of  work  was  being  performed  with  the  right 
arm  alone,  almost  double  the  work  could  surely  be 
expected  from  the  employment  of  the  left  arm  as 
well.  The  maxillary-muscle  bill  arose  from  a  minute 
examination  of  the  Dinner  Code  in  the  effort  to  find 
some  defect  which  others  had  not  seen.  Although 
the  code  was  well-nigh  perfect  as  to  the  amount  of 
food  to  be  inserted  in  the  mouth  at  a  time,  the  manner 
in  which  the  eating  utensils  should  be  handled,  the 
nature  of  the  noises  permitted  and  not  permitted  with 
the  lips,  and  so  on  ad  iniinitum,  yet  I  happily  discovered 
that  the  entire  subject  of  mastication  was  left  un- 
touched. Therefore,  with  the  zeal  of  a  new  legislator, 
I  drew  up  a  bill  requiring  that  food  should  be  chewed 
nine  times  on  the  right  side  of  the  jaw  and  nine  times 
on  the  left  side,  after  which  it  could  be  swallowed. 

I  do  not  see  the  need  of  commenting  on  the  anti- 
snoring  bill,  the  fact  that  I  slept  in  the  same  ward 
with  many  others  being  sufficient,  I  take  it,  to  show 
the  origin  of  the  measure  in  my  own  mind.  I  really 
extracted  more  pleasure  in  being  the  father  of  this 
law  than  I  did  of  the  others  I  have  mentioned,  for  it 
was  the  only  one  in  which  I  succeeded  in  turning  my 
power  as  a  Vorunkian  to  my  personal  profit.  I  pro- 
vided for  capital  punishment  for  the  offense. 


VARIOUS  EXCELLENT  LAV/S         283 

The  laughing  bill  was  a  humanitarian  measure, 
based  on  the  principle  that  whereas  happy  thoughts 
caused  the  muscular  actions  known  as  laughter,  these 
muscular  actions,  if  forcibly  carried  out,  would  in  turn 
by  reflex  action  produce  happy  thoughts.  The  need 
for  gaiety  in  the  daily  affairs  of  life  was  painfully 
apparent,  and  the  measure  had  the  additional  merit 
of  providing  equality  in  merriment.  This  bill  was 
truly  a  happy  stroke  of  genius,  although,  I  regret  to 
say,  I  was  among  its  first  victims.  On  the  second  day 
after  it  went  into  effect  I  was  hauled  up  before  a 
judge  by  an  observant  inspector  who  noted  my  failure 
to  laugh  in  accordance  with  the  provisions.  I  pleaded 
to  the  judge  that  I  was  the  author  of  the  measure  and 
was  absent-minded  by  reason  of  my  thinking  on  new 
measures  for  the  good  of  the  Democracy;  but  he  was 
obdurate  and  sentenced  me  to  one  day  in  prison,  with- 
out food,  the  minimum  punishment.  Thus  I  had  good 
opportunity  to  marvel  on  the  insignificance  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Vorunk,  and  the  impartial  character  in 
which  the  laws  were  administered.  But  I  was  in  a 
measure  recompensed  by  having  a  genuine  laugh  to 
myself  when  I  recalled  how  the  honorable  Court,  while 
sentencing  me,  had  to  stop  to  comply  with  the  act  him- 
self, which  he  did  with  a  loud  guffaw. 

The  bill  providing  for  the  removal  of  the  wealth  of 


284  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  ancients  beyond  the  temptation  of  future  genera- 
tions was  the  result  of  the  conversation  I  had  with  the 
sea-surgeon  on  the  occasion  of  my  first  experience 
with  the  lethe  weed.  It  provided  that  a  committee  of 
one  member  of  the  Vorunk  should  be  appointed  to 
examine  into  the  possibility  of  removing  the  coin  and 
jewels  in  the  Hall  of  Curiosities  to  some  place  beyond 
the  reach  of  human  hands,  and  gave  this  committee 
the  right  to  make  any  preliminary  arrangements 
which,  in  its  judgment,  would  subserve  the  end  de- 
sired. It  was  an  innocent-looking  bill,  and  I  congrat- 
ulated myself  that  the  suspicious  nose  of  even  the 
dwarf  did  not  detect  any  ulterior  motive  behind  it.  In 
behalf  of  the  measure  I  used  the  excellent  argument 
of  the  sea-surgeon  that  while  the  wealth  was  an  eye- 
sore to  the  present  generation,  there  was  no  telling 
but  that  it  might  be  the  means  of  sore  temptation  to 
posterity,  and  that  in  order  to  save  posterity  from 
any  possibility  of  incurring  the  misery  which  the 
money  and  gewgaws  had  inflicted  upon  the  fore- 
fathers of  the  country,  it  would  be  an  act  of  true 
patriotism  to  remove  the  stuff  out  of  human  sight  and 
reach  for  ever  and  ever.  I  did  not  bring  forward 
this  bill  until  after  I  had  acquired  a  certain  prestige  in 
the  chamber  by  reason  of  the  other  measures  I  have 
mentioned  and  I  pretended  only  a  passing  interest  in 


VARIOUS  EXCELLENT  LAWS        285 

it,  but  the  debate  brought  out  so  many  questions  that 
I  was  induced  to  talk  at  length  upon  the  advisability 
of  the  proposed  undertaking,  and  I  am  pleased  to  state 
that  I  spoke  with  such  effect  that  it  passed  unanimous- 
ly. I  was  warmly  congratulated  and  much  lauded  by 
my  fellow  members,  as  being  the  author  of  what  they 
declared  was  the  most  important  measure  adopted  in  a 
generation.  They  insisted  that,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
I  should  be  appointed  the  cominittee  of  one ;  but  this 
honor  was  qualified  by  the  stipulation  that  because  of 
my  invaluable  services  to  the  Vorunk  during  its  ses- 
sions I  should  contrive  to  carry  on  my  investigations 
after  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

"  This  is  a  remarkable  measure,"  said  the  dwarf  in 
private  to  me  after  the  bill  passed,  "  and  I  am  much 
interested  to  see  what  you  propose  to  do,  for  I  have 
no  doubt  you  have  some  plan  in  view." 

"  I  hardly  know  as  yet,"  I  replied  with  composure, 
"  what  I  shall  do,  unless  it  be  to  construct  some  kind 
of  a  vehicle  in  which  the  coin  and  jewels  can  be  placed 
and  taken  out  to  sea  and  lost  among  the  rocks." 

"  And  why  should  you  put  yourself  to  all  that 
trouble?"  he  quietly  asked. 

"Why?  For  the  good  of  the  Democracy,  sir,  of 
course,"  I  said. 

"Of  course,  of  course !  "  he  replied,  bowing  gravely. 


286  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

There  was  nothing  in  the  way  he  spoke  which 
seemed  objectionable,  but  there  was  a  queer  gHnt  in 
his  eyes  and  his  hps  had  a  cynical  twist,  which  caused 
me  some  uneasiness,  but  only  for  a  moment.  Had 
not  the  dwarf  allowed  the  bill  to  pass,  and  was  this 
not  sufficient  evidence  that  he  did  not  question  my 
motives?  I  told  myself  that  I  should  not  be  over- 
suspicious,  and  I  awaited  the  adjournment  of  the 
session  with  ill-constrained  impatience. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

MY   HOPES   ARE    RAISED   AND   THEN    DASHED 

By  the  time  I  reached  the  doctor's  laboratory  that 
evening  I  was  bubbling  over  with  jubilant  spirits.  At 
last  I  was  making  headway  toward  escape  and  the 
more  I  meditated  on  the  details  of  my  plan  the  more 
sanguine  I  grew  of  ultimate  success.  All  the  dread 
of  the  fearful  future  which  threatened  Astraea  and 
myself  fell  from  me  and  in  the  reaction  I  could  hardly 
keep  from  dancing  a  hornpipe. 

"  Doctor,"  I  said  exultantly,  "  we  are  going  to 
escape !  Behold  me,  the  authorized  representative  of 
the  State  to  build  a  vehicle  for  the  removal  of  the 
gold  from  the  Hall  of  Curiosities !  We  shall  now 
construct  a  raft  as  fast  as  we  can  saw  the  timbers  and 
drive  the  nails.  Then  some  pleasant  evening,  during 
the  smoke-time,  we  shall  take  French  leave  of  the 
Democracy,  you  and  Astr^a  and  I." 

But  the  doctor  only  shook  his  head  dismally.  He 
was  not  impressed  and  I  was  piqued  by  his  un- 
responsive demeanor. 

"  You  are  over-confident,"  he  said  slowly.  "  You 
287 


288  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

are  not  yet  out  of  Atlantis,  and  you  must  remember 
that.  Still  I  am  ready  to  assist  you,  though  in  this 
matter  I  do  it  reluctantly,  feeling,  as  I  do,  that  it  will 
come  to  naught."  He  paused  for  a  moment  and  then, 
like  a  man  who  suddenly  remembers  something,  he 
exclaimed : 

"  How  about  the  monument?'* 

I  laughed  gleefully. 

"  The  monument,  to  be  sure ! "  I  echoed.  "  We 
certainly  will  not  forget  that.  We  will  touch  it  off  as 
our  farewell  message  to  the  Democracy.  It  will  be  a 
grand  leave-taking !  " 

"But  I  would  like  to  be  here  when  it  explodes," 
said  the  doctor,  crestfallen. 

I  saw  what  ailed  my  friend.  To  him  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  monument  meant  an  event  like  that  of  the 
fall  of  the  Bastille,  and  not  to  participate  in  the 
stirring  events  which  it  was  to  precipitate  would  be  a 
lifelong  disappointment  to  him.  I  tried  to  reconcile 
him  to  my  way  of  thinking. 

"  It  will  not  do,"  I  said,  "  to  be  here  when  the 
monument  falls,  unless  you  wish  to  lose  your  head. 
As  for  me,  I  want  to  be  as  far  away  as  possible,  and 
you  must  not  forget  Astrsea." 

My  reference  to  Astraea  had  its  effect. 

"  If  she  can  be  rescued,"  he  said  with  emphasis, 


MY  HOPES  RAISED  AND  DASHED    289 

"  then  it  is  our  duty  to  sacrifice  everything  else  to 
that  end.     The  monument  can  wait." 

"  You  are  a  trump,  Doctor,"  I  exclaimed,  shaking 
him  by  the  hand.  "  And  now  let  us  hasten  to  the  Hall 
of  Curiosities." 

Arriving  at  the  great  repository  of  wealth  and 
relics  I  presented  my  credentials  to  the  inspectors,  and 
we  were  allowed  perfect  freedom  to  do  as  we  pleased. 
For  a  considerable  time  I  gloated  covetously  over  the 
sparkling  jewels  and  diamonds  exposed  in  profusion 
all  about,  and  I  resolved  to  make  the  raft  amply  large 
to  carry  considerable  ballast.  For  several  hours  I 
figured  extensively  on  specific  gravities,  and  measured 
carefully  the  old  hulks  of  ships  stored  in  the  place,  in 
order  to  ascertain  the  maximum  of  timber  suited  for 
the  structure.  The  result  was  very  disappointing  as 
compared  to  my  desires.  Figure  how  I  might,  I  saw 
it  would  be  impossible  to  convey  more  than  approxi- 
mately a  million  dollars  of  precious  cargo,  and  this 
would  make  no  appreciable  effect  on  the  vast  col- 
lection !  I  looked  greedily  at  the  bins  of  yellow  metal, 
and  was  filled  with  vexation  and  grief  that  I  should 
be  forced  to  abandon  them.  But  the  thought  that  I 
was  about  to  recover  my  liberty  and  to  take  with  me 
to  the  land  of  the  sun  the  most  lovable  girl  in  the 
universe  made  me  execrate  myself  for  my  avarice,  and 


290  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

I  became  resigned  to  the  limitations  of  the  raft  it  was 
possible  to  make,  though  I  must  confess  it  was  not 
without  some  lingering  regrets. 

When  we  were  about  to  retire  that  night  I  said 
triumphantly  to  the  doctor: 

"  It's  going  to  be  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world. 
Such  a  simple  plan,  too.  It  only  shows  how  readily  a 
man  from  the  upper  world  can  outwit  the  most  wide- 
awake statesmen  the  Democracy  possesses.  That 
cunning  old  fox,  the  dwarf,  has  met  his  match  at  last. 
I'd  give  something  to  observe  his  beady  eyes  when  he 
finds  we  are  gone." 

But  the  next  day  I  had  all  of  my  self-conceit  plucked 
out  of  me  to  the  last  feather,  and  I  was  plunged  into 
despair  blacker  than  I  had  yet  experienced.  The 
dwarf  did  it  very  adroitly.  The  Vorunk  was  in 
session  and  I  was  called  on  to  make  a  partial  report 
on  my  project  to  remove  the  gold.  I  at  once  gave 
a  full  account  of  how  a  raft  could  be  made,  the  ob- 
jectionable material  loaded  upon  it  and  towed  out  to 
sea. 

"  How  long  will  it  take  to  make  this  raft  ?  "  asked 
the  dwarf. 

"  About  two  weeks,"  I  replied. 

Nothing  more  was  said,  but  when  the  committee, 
the  sole  mysterious  adjunct  of  the  distinguished  body, 


MY  HOPES  RAISED  AND  DASHED    291 

made  its  report  in  the  last  hour  of  the  session  it  handed 
down  a  bill  making  it  unlawful  for  any  foreign-born 
citizen  of  Atlantis  to  attempt  to  return  to  his  mother 
country,  and,  continued  the  bill,  "  if  any  such  citizen 
should  be  convicted  of  such  an  attempt,  he  shall  be 
publicly  thrown  to  the  monster." 

During  the  reading  of  the  measure  I  clenched  my 
fists  so  hard  that  my  nails  were  driven  into  the  palms 
of  my  hands.  The  disappointment  was  great,  and 
yet  I  realized  that  the  moment  was  fraught  with 
peril  and  that  I  must  appear  unconcerned  at  all  costs. 
When  the  reading  was  over  I  arose  to  my  feet  and  in- 
dicating by  my  manner  I  regarded  the  bill  with  in- 
difference, I  said: 

"  Gentlemen,  I  know  of  no  foreign-born  citizen  of 
the  Democracy  other  than  myself,  and,  therefore,  it 
seems  specially  appropriate  that  I  should  be  the  one 
to  urge  the  adoption  of  this  bill,  and  thus  set  at  rest 
once  and  for  all  any  suspicions  as  to  my  future  in- 
tentions." (I  bowed  to  the  dwarf.)  "I  hope  the 
measure  will  be  passed  unanimously." 

There  was  a  semblance  of  applause  at  my  words, 
something  very  unusual,  and  I  thanked  my  colleagues. 
One  of  them  arose  and  said  that  he  was  positive  the 
bill  was  not  intended  as  a  reflection  on  the  junior 
member  of  the  body,  and  if  the  junior  member  had 


292  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

thought  that  it  was  a  reflection  he  would  record  his 
vote  against  it. 

"  But,"  he  added,  "  since  he  urges  the  passage  of 
the  measure  himself,  I  can  not  do  less  than  yield  to 
his  wishes  and  accordingly  I  vote  aye." 

I  felt  grateful  for  the  expression  of  the  member 
that  under  certain  contingencies  he  would  have  voted 
against  the  bill,  but  at  the  same  time  I  was  cognizant 
of  the  invariable  custom  of  the  Vorunk  to  vote 
unanimously  on  all  measures  as  they  came  from  the 
committee  and  in  full  accord  with  the  nature  of  the 
committee's  report.  How  fortunate  that  my  colleague 
was  not  called  on  to  alter  the  time-honored  customs 
of  the  body!     The  bill  passed  unanimously. 

I  returned  to  the  dormitory  that  night  with  leaden 
feet.  It  was  clear  that  I  was  engaged  in  a  hopeless 
task.  The  doctor  was  right  —  I  should  never  be  per- 
mitted to  escape.  I  was  doomed.  Astraea  was 
doomed.    There  was  nothing  left  but  to  await  the  end. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

A   GIFT   FROM    THE   SEA 

When  the  doctor  saw  me  he  was  startled, 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  look 
like  a  ghost." 

"  The  plan  to  escape  is  wrecked.     All  is  lost !  " 

I  made  the  announcement  stoically. 

"Infernal  Beelzebub!"  he  ejaculated.  My  friend 
had  a  queer  choice  of  expletives  on  occasion. 

"  No,  it  was  the  dwarf,"  I  replied. 

The  doctor  poured  a  little  liquid  into  a  glass  and 
made  me  drink  it.  Its  effect  was  stimulating,  and 
then  I  told  him  how,  if  I  attempted  to  escape,  I  was 
destined  by  the  Vorunk  to  become  a  sacrifice  to  the 
monster  for  the  edification  of  the  multitudes.  He 
listened  with  the  deepest  sympathy,  and  allowed  me 
to  vent  my  bitterness  at  length. 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Do?"  I  exclaimed.  "Fight,  of  course!  There's 
nothing  else  to  do.  You  must  make  more  gunpowder, 
Doctor,  you  must  make  more  gunpowder !  " 

"What  will  you  do  with  it?" 
293 


'294  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  We  will  mine  the  amphitheater." 

The  doctor  stared  at  me  as  though  he  thought  me 
mad. 

I  laughed  grimily  and  said: 

"  You  must  not  look  at  me  so.  I  am  perfectly 
sane.  The  plan  is  feasible.  It  is  desperate,  but  then 
I  am  desperate,  and  we  are  in  a  desperate  plight." 

The  doctor  did  not  have  the  chance  to  reply,  for 
just  as  he  was  about  to  speak  a  knock  came  at  the 
door. 

"  Calm  yourself,"  he  entreated,  and  then  aloud  he 
called  out :     "  Come  in." 

The  door  opened  and  there  walked  in,  as  affable  as 
you  please,  our  mutual  friend,  the  sea-surgeon.  His 
handsome  face  wore  a  smile  and  his  eyes  shone  with 
unusual  brightness.  He  grasped  us  both  by  the 
hands  and  said  gaily : 

"  So  both  of  you  are  cooped  up  in  this  cubbyhole 
like  two  hermits!  But  I'm  glad  you  are,  for  I  wanted 
to  see  you  the  very  worst  kind.  I  have  heard  of 
your  great  success,"  addressing  me,  "  and  that  is 
what  has  brought  me.  You  have  accomplished  a 
glorious  deed  for  the  Democracy,  and  please  permit 
me  to  congratulate  you.  I  little  supposed,  when  I 
gave  you  my  opinions  as  to  the  contaminating  in- 
fluence of  the  gold,  that  you  would  so  soon  become 


A  GIFT  FROM  THE  SEA  295 

the  instrument  to  remove  it  beyond  the  temptation 
of  our  children  and  our  children's  children.  So,  you 
see,  I  feel  as  if  I  had  a  personal  interest  in  this  pa> 
triotic  undertaking  of  yours,'  and  I  wanted  to  know 
whether  I  could  not  accompany  you  to  the  Hall  of 
Curiosities  to-night  and  tender  you   my  assistance." 

"  Your  company  and  also  your  assistance  are 
thrice  welcome,"  I  said,  smiling  despite  myself.  "  We 
were  just  about  to  start." 

Previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  surgeon  I  had  quite 
forgotten  about  the  raft,  but  now  I  saw  that  I  must 
go  through  with  the  enterprise  as  though  my  interest 
in  it  had  in  no  wise  abated. 

The  surgeon  proved  exceptionally  good  company 
that  evening.  He  was  so  elated  over  the  stupendous 
undertaking,  as  he  called  it,  that  he  babbled  about 
it  like  a  brook,  and  I  had  to  supply  him  with  the 
minutest  details  of  my  plan.  In  answer  to  one  of  his 
queries  I  told  him  I  estimated  it  would  take  almost 
three  hundred  trips  with  the  raft  to  dispose  of  all  the 
coin. 

"  It's  a  task  worthy  of  a  giant !  "  he  exclaimed. 

I  thought  so  myself,  and  I  began  to  wonder  whether 
I  could  not  transfer  the  major  part  of  the  job  to 
him. 

But  despite  his  interest  in  the  enterprise  he  took 


296  THE  SCARLET  E^IPIRE 

up  about  an  hour's  time  at  the  Hall,  examining  dif- 
ferent coins  and  telling  us  their  history  and  the 
amount  of  alloy  they  contained.  He  was  an  expert 
on  money,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  doctor  I  be- 
lieve we  would  have  wasted  the  entire  evening  in  idle 
talk.  He  was  speaking  volubly  on  the  theme  that 
money  vvas  the  root  of  all  evil,  when  the  doctor,  with 
some  testiness,  suggested  that  we  get  to  work.  We 
had  hardly  begun  to  attack  the  wreckage  of  an  old 
frigate,  however,  when  the  surgeon  suddenly  stopped 
us  by  saying: 

"  Bless  me,  if  I  had  not  almost  forgotten !  Do  you 
remember  my  telling  you  about  a  curious  object  we 
found  at  sea  ?  " 

I  dimly  recalled  his  having  said  something  of  the 
kind  and  told  him  so, 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  continued,  "  it  is  here.  We  hauled 
the  thing  into  the  sea-chamber  of  the  Hall,  meaning 
to  place  it  in  this  room,  but  the  inner  door  of  the 
chamber  was  too  low  to  admit  it.  We  are  now  in 
a  quandary  to  know  whether  to  demolish  it,  that  is, 
if  we  can,  which  I  much  doubt,  seeing  that  it  is 
made  of  solid  iron,  or  whether  we  shall  take  it  back 
into  the  sea.  Come  and  have  a  look  at  it.  Per- 
haps you  can  give  us  some  advice  about  it." 

The   doctor   and   I   followed   him  to  the   door  of 


A  GIFT  FROM  THE  SEA  297 

ft've  sea-chamber,  which  began  to  open  upon  the  pres- 
sure of  a  button.  As  the  great  sheet  of  copper  moved 
slowly  into  its  groove  I  looked  carelessly  into  the 
chamber,  and  there  I  saw  a  cigar-shaped  object  of 
considerable  size.  My  heart  gave  a  great  throb.  The 
object  looked  like  a  boat,  a  boat  made  of  iron  and 
shaped  like  a  fish ! 

I  rushed  into  the  chamber,  extremely  agitated.  I 
had  a  hammer  in  one  hand  and  I  began  to  run  up 
and  down  the  sides  of  the  object,  tapping  it  to  test 
whether  it  was  hollow.  Then  suddenly  I  recalled  a 
conversation  I  once  had  with  a  fellow  member  of 
a  socialist  club  in  New  York.  He  was  employed  by 
an  inventor  at  the  time  I  knew  him,  and  he  often 
told  me  of  his  work.  Once  under  strict  confidence 
he  gave  me  an  account  of  a  curious  boat  his  em- 
ployer was  making  which  would  navigate  the  under 
waters.  This  information,  which  at  the  time  made 
a  deep  impression  on  me,  now  vividly  returned  to  my 
mind. 

"  Surely,"  I  said  to  myself,  as  I  continued  my  ex- 
amination, "  this  thing  tallies  with  his  description  of 
the  boat ! " 

Becoming  satisfied  now  that  it  really  was  a  boat, 
I  was  on  the  point  of  blurting  out  the  fact  when  I 
caught  myself   in  time.     Why  could   I  not  make    it 


298  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  means  of  escape!  The  idea  dazzled  me.  Then 
I  became  as  secretive  and  crafty  as  a  miser,  for  I 
realized  that  once  it  was  known  it  was  a  contrivance 
that  would  navigate  the  sea,  I  would  not  be  per- 
mitted to  come  near  it  except  under  close  surveillance. 

I  continued  to  tap  the  steel  with  my  hammer,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  had  examined  the  entire  exterior 
of  the  vessel.  It  was  about  seventy  feet  in  length 
and  about  twelve  in  width.  At  one  end  were  two 
rudders,  one  vertical  and  the  other  horizontal,  and 
also  a  propeller  screw.  On  top  of  the  boat  amidship 
was  a  round  tower,  part  of  which  was  made  of  heavy 
glass.  Examining  this  tower  closely  I  saw  that  on  its 
upper  side  was  the  lid  of  a  hatchway. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  "  said  the  surgeon,  who 
had  been  patiently  waiting  for  me  to   speak. 

"  I  never  saw  anything  like  this  before,"  I  replied 
glibly.     "  I   wonder  what  it  can  be  ?  " 

"  It  resembles  a  whale,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Maybe 
it  is  some  kind  of  boat." 

"  There  are  many  different  kinds  of  boats  on 
the  surface,"  I  said.  "  Probably,  after  all,  it  is  an 
ordinary  vessel  which  has  met  the  ordinary  fate." 

I  now  climbed  upon  the  cylindrical  tower  I  have 
just  mentioned,  where,  giving  the  hatch-lid  a  few 
blows  with  the  hammer,  I  reached  down  and  lifted  it. 


A  GIFT  FROM  THE  SEA  299 

There  was  a  rush  of  noxious  gases  from  the  interior 
of  the  boat  and  so  terrible  was  the  stench  that  I 
made  a  jump  and  landed  by  the  sea-surgeon,  who  was 
gaping  at  me  open-mouthed. 

"  How  did  you  do  it  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 

I  did  not  reply,  but  climbed  back  to  the  tower,  when, 
finding  that  the  odor  was  nearly  gone,  I  began  to 
lower  myself  into  the  manhole.  But  going  down 
a  few  rounds  of  a  ladder  my  feet  suddenly  touched 
water.  I  stopped  and  looked  about.  Though  the 
light  came  dimly  through  the  opening  I  could  see 
that  the  interior  was  a  mass  of  pipes  and  machinery 
which  went  down  into  the  water,  showing  that  the 
boat  was  at  least  half  flooded.  I  knew  that  some 
accident  had  occurred,  which  had  admitted  the  sea 
and  caused  the  vessel  to  sink  to  the  ocean's  bottom. 
As  to  the  nature  of  this  accident  I  could  only  sur- 
mise. It  was  clear  there  was  no  leak  in  the  hull 
or  the  water  would  have  run  out  into  the  sea-cham- 
ber. Perhaps  the  hatch-lid  had  been  open  when  the 
ship  was  awash,  and  a  great  wave  had  struck  it, 
sending  the  boat  downward  and  letting  in  tons  of 
water,  and  perhaps  the  rushing  water  closed  the 
lid  again  when  it  was  too  late.  This  was  the  only 
theory  that  seemed  reasonable.  I  lowered  myself 
to  the  waist  in  water,  and  then  reascended. 


300  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  Get  a  pump,"  I  said  to  my  wondering  friends, 
"  the   thing  is   half-full  of  water." 

An  old  ship's  pump  was  brought  cut  of  the  store- 
house of  relics  and  we  set  manfully  to  work,  en- 
listing in  our  service  several  of  the  inspectors  who 
stood  about.  After  an  hour  or  thereabouts,  we  had 
covered  the  floor  of  the  sea-chamber  with  water  to 
the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches.  I  now  stopped 
the  work  and  went  below.  I  saw  that  the  boat  had 
been  nearly  emptied,  but  as  I  stepped  from  the  last 
rung  of  the  ladder  to  the  flooring  my  foot  struck 
something  soft.  The  thought  had  been  running 
through  my  mind  that  perhaps  I  would  find  some 
bodies  in  the  interior,  but  nevertheless  the  object 
there  in  the  dark  beneath  my  feet  unnerved  me. 
After  a  minute's  effort  to  master  my  fears  I  reached 
down  with  my  hand.  It  came  in  contact  with  the 
stiff  cold  muscles  of  a  dead  man's  face.  I  sprang 
up  the  ladder  and  out  of  the  hole,  trembling  vio- 
lently. 

"  Bring  a  light,"  I  gasped,  "  there  are  dead  bodies 
below." 

The  doctor  and  the  surgeon  were  horror-stricken 
by  the  intelligence,  but  in  a  short  time  one  of  the 
inspectors  brought  a  rude  lantern  containing  a  tallow 
candle,    and    then    a    solemn    procession    wended    its 


A  GIFT  FROM  THE  SEA  301 

way  down  the  hatchway.  I  was  in  the  lead  with  the 
flickering  Hght.  Reaching  the  bottom  of  the  ladder 
I  stepped  over  the  body  and  stood  in  a  small  com- 
partment, while  the  others  silently  grouped  them- 
selves about  me.  Then  I  approached  the  body  with 
the  lantern.  The  light  shone  ghastly  on  the  features 
of  a  face  convulsed  with  agony,  testifying  to  the 
horrible  death  the  man  had  undergone.  The  body, 
too,  was  bloated  to  twice  its  natural  size. 

"  Let's  remove  it,"  I  said. 

The  sea-surgeon  and  an  inspector  took  hold  of  it, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  others  got  it  up  the  ladder 
and  through  the  manhole. 

The  doctor  alone  remained  with  me.  I  looked  the 
compartment  over  carefully  but  found  no  other 
bodies.  In  my  search  my  eyes  fell  on  a  belt  hang- 
ing on  a  wall  to  which  were  attached  a  number  of 
cartridges  and  two  holsters  containing  pistols.  I 
stared  blankly  at  the  object  a  moment,  then  swiftly 
removing  my  tunic,  I  girded  the  belt  about  my  waist 
and  again  donned  my  outer  garment.  The  doctor 
was  looking  at  me  with  surprise. 

"  These  things  may  come  in  handy,"  said  I,  "  and 
you  must  keep  silent  about  them." 

I  now  proceeded  aft,  followed  by  my  friend.  We 
found  two  small  compartments  here,  in  the  first  of 


302  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

which  there  was  nothing  except  water  and  dripping" 
machinery,  but  in  the  second  we  looked  upon  a  ghastly- 
sight.  Five  bodies  lay  huddled  together,  with  their 
eyes  open  and  their  features  horribly  distorted. 

"  I  have  seen  terrible  things,  but  nothing  quite  so 
gruesome  and  uncanny  as  this,"  whispered  the  doctor. 

Closely  examining  the  faces  of  the  dead  with  the 
lantern  I  suddenly  shrank  back. 

"  Good  God  !  "  I  exclaimed. 

I  had  recognized  one  of  the  bodies  as  that  of  my 
young  friend  of  the  socialist  club ! 

The  boat  was,  after  all,  the  very  one  he  had  talked 
to  me  so  enthusiastically  about.  Poor  boy!  It  had 
been  to  him  only  a  death-trap,  an  iron  coffin  at  the 
sea's  bottom. 

How  strange  are  the  workings  of  fate!  The  sea 
had  brought  him  to  me  to  bury  and  at  the  same  time, 
it  had  given  me  as  a  gift  this  strange  craft, —  a  help- 
ing hand  from  Heaven  reaching  downward  to  rescue 
Astraea  and   me   from  living  death! 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE    SCORPION    BECOMES   AN    ARGOSY 

The  next  day  at  the  meeting  of  the  Vorunk  the 
dwarf  profusely  thanked  me  for  the  service  I  had 
rendered  in  recovering  the  bodies  from  the  queer 
dereHct. 

"  Perhaps  you  can  throw  some  light  on  what  man- 
ner of  vessel  it  is  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  I  can  not,"  I  replied  deliberately,  "  it  is  a  mys- 
tery to  me  as  well  as  to  you." 

"  Suppose  you  give  it  further  examination  and 
make   a   report,"  he   said  quietly. 

"  I  will  do  so  if  you  will  permit  my  absence  for 
half  a  day  from  the  Vorunk." 

"  Very  well." 

The  dwarf  seemed  specially  gracious,  having,  I 
surmised,  satisfied  himself  that  he  had  nipped  in 
the  bud  any  possible  notion  of  escape  on  my  part 
and  was  now  desirous  of  mollifying  my  disappoint- 
ment. 

Ever  since  I  first  laid  eyes  on  the  submarine  I  had 
been  constantly  studying  how  I  might  make  it  serve 

303 


304  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

my  purpose.  In  the  night,  when  others  were  sleeping, 
my  mind  had  been  busy  with  the  problem,  and  now, 
while  pretending  to  listen  to  the  proceedings  of  the 
Vorunk,  I  still  wrestled  with  the  enigma,  searching 
for  a  solution  that  was  seemingly  impossible  to  find. 
The  likelihood  of  being  able  to  elude  the  ubiquitous 
inspectors  and  the  watchfulness  of  the  dwarf  was  so 
remote  that  at  times  I  was  oppressed  with  a  feeling 
of  utter  hopelessness,  and  at  last  I  was  forced  to 
realize  that,  unless  chance  favored  me,  the  craft  would 
avail  me  nothing. 

In  my  agony  of  mind  lest  this  last  hope  should  be 
snatched  away  I  had  recourse  to  the  philosophy  of 
the  fatalist.  I  counted  it  a  good  augury  that  at  tho 
moment  when  I  had  about  resigned  myself  to  the 
thought  that  I  could  never  escape,  the  mysterious  boat 
had  been  placed  within  my  reach.  It  had  come  like 
a  pardon  to  a  man  condemned,  and  surely  it  had  not 
come  in  vain  —  surely  it  had  not  been  sent  to  raise 
new  hope  only  to  mock  me  and  make  more  poignant 
my  despair.  If  it  were  to  be  my  deliverer,  then  it 
would  be.  Let  me  be  on  the  alert  and  seize  every 
advantage  chance  should  offer,  and  perhaps  —  well, 
as  long  as  there  was  a  shred  of  hope  remaining  I 
would  cling  to  it  like  a  drowning  man  to  a  straw. 

When  the  day  was  half  over,  armed  with  the  ere- 


SCORPION  BECOMES  AN  ARGOSY   305 

dentials  of  the  dwarf,  I  sought  out  the  doctor,  and 
we  repaired  to  the  Hall  of  Curiosities.  We  set  to 
work  on  the  submarine,  removing  the  remainder  of 
the  water,  wiping  the  machinery  and  oiling  it. 
Thanks  to  the  information  my  young  friend  had  given 
me  several  years  before,  I  had  a  general  idea  of 
the  complicated  apparatus.  There  were  two  motors, 
one  electric  and  the  other  gasoline.  I  located  the 
tanks  for  water,  gasoline  and  compressed  air.  In 
the  fore  part  of  the  vessel  was  the  torpedo  tube,  which 
contained  a  missile  ready  to  be  sent  on  its  death-deal- 
ing mission.  Two  other  torpedoes  were  lying  near 
at  hand.  While  looking  at  them  I  conceived  the 
idea  of  removing  them,  in  order  to  lighten  the  craft 
as  much  as  possible.  Calling  a  number  of  inspectors 
to  our  assistance  we  managed  with  some  exertion 
to  take  them  out  and  lay  them  on  the  floor  of  the 
sea-chamber,  where  they  were  permitted  to  remain. 
The  torpedo  in  the  tube  I  did  not  touch.  Telling 
the  inspectors  that  we  had  no  further  need  of  their 
services  they  left  us,  apparently  unconcerned  about 
the  boat.  I  now  continued  to  study  the  machinery, 
explaining  everything  to  the  doctor  as  best  I  could. 
Being  well  versed  in  mechanics  for  an  Atlantide, 
my  co-worker  was  quick  in  comprehending,  and  in 
a  short  time  was  more  competent  to  handle  the  craft 


3o6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

than  I  ever  could  hope  to  be.  Getting  everything  in 
shape  we  set  the  gasoline  engine  going,  restored  the 
supply  of  compressed  air  and  recharged  the  batteries. 
Tlie  water-tanks,  I  found,  were  empty,  having  prob- 
ably been  blown  out  by  the  men  in  their  descent 
through  the  sea.  The  electric  motor  had  not  dried 
sufficiently  during  the  night  to  permit  of  its  being 
used,  but  we  satisfied  ourselves  that  there  w^as  noth- 
ing radically  wrong.  The  entire  apparatus,  in  fact, 
seemed  in  good  condition,  save  for  the  wetting  it  had 
received.  I  noticed  particularly  the  way  in  which  the 
vessel  had  been  strengthened  by  numerous  steel  girders 
running  from  side  to  side  and  from  bottom  to  top,  en- 
abling it  to  resist  the  frightful  pressure  of  the  water 
at  the  sea's  bottom. 

"  It  is  a  fish,"  exclaimed  the  doctor  enthusiastical- 
ly,  "  with  machinery   for  entrails." 

As  he  spoke,  I  happened  to  be  looking  at  the  dials 
and  mechanism  in  the  conning-tower,  and  my  eye 
fell  on  a  small  copper  plate  on  which  were  the  words : 
The  Sea  Scorpion. 

Calling  the  doctor's  attention  to  the  inscription  I 
exclaimed : 

"  It  is  a  fish  — ■  a  mechanical  fish  —  but  it  is  more 
than  that ;  it  is  a  fish  that  stings." 

While   we   were   at   work   the   thous^ht   struck  me 


SCORPION  BECOMES  AN  ARGOSY    307 

that  escape  would  never  be  easier  than  at  that  very 
time.  Here  was  the  boat  in  the  sea-chamber,  Hke 
a  coach  at  the  door  ready  to  take  us  where  we  willed. 
It  only  required  the  closing  of  the  inner  door  of  the 
chamber,  the  letting-in  of  the  water,  the  opening  of 
the  sea-door  and  the  closing  of  the  hatchway  with 
the  doctor  and  myself  aboard.  What  if  the  electric 
motor  could  not  yet  be  used  —  we  could  risk  the 
gasoline  motor  for  a  few  turns  of  the  propeller,  and 
once  out  in  the  open  sea,  the  boat  could  be  depended 
on  to  rise  of  its  own  buoyancy.  But  the  idea  had 
no  sooner  insinuated  itself  in  my  mind  than  I  spurned 
it.  What!  Leave  Astrsea!  Rather  would  I  remain 
behind  and  die!  If  only  she  were  with  us,  nothing 
could  induce  me  to  forgo  the  chance  for  flight  so 
temptingly  presented.  Why  not  then  get  her  that 
very  evening?  The  idea  intoxicated  me.  I  sprang 
for  the  ladder. 

"  Come,"  I  cried,  "  to-night  is  the  chosen  moment 
for  escape!  Let  us  hasten  to  the  prison  to  bring 
Astrsea." 

I  felt  the  doctor's  detaining  hand  forcibly  on  my 
arm. 

"  Restrain  yourself !  "  he  pleaded  ;  "  to-morrow  will 
be  time  enough." 

"  To-morrow ! "     I     exclaimed     wrathfuUy.     "  To- 


3o8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

morrow  may  find  us  all  in  prison.  Now  is  the  chance, 
and  there  is  no  time  to  waste." 

I  hurried  swiftly  from  the  boat,  followed  closely 
by  my  friend.     I  heard  him  say: 

"  Remember  the  monument !  '* 

I  turned  on  him. 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  let  the  blowing  up  of  the 
monument  hazard  our  escape  ?  " 

I  spoke  harshly,  but  glancing  backward  at  him  as 
I  ran  I  saw,  despite  my  self-absorption,  that  he  was 
deeply  grieved  and  dejected.  I  relented  at  once  and 
said: 

"  We  can  blow  it  up  to-night  and  escape  too ! " 

We  had  now  reached  the  first  chamber  of  the  Hall, 
and  looking  about  saw  not  a  living  soul.  The  vast 
cavern  was  as  silent  as  the  tomb,  and  the  figures  of 
the  idols  and  colossi  looked  down  on  us,  inscrutable 
and  ghost-like  from  shadowy  walls. 

"Where  are  the  inspectors?"  I  whispered  appre- 
hensively. 

"  Gone !  "  said  the  doctor,  perplexed.  "  Can  it  be 
possible  that  this  is  the  smoke-time  ?  " 

We  hastily  traversed  the  various  chambers  of  the 
immense  cave,  and  found  no  one.  The  silence  and 
gloom  were  appalling.  I  had  a  feeling  that  I  was 
treading  the   charnel-house  of  ancient   kings   where. 


SCORPION  BECOMES  AN  ARGOSY   309 

reposing  with  their  bones,  were  all  the  trappings  and 
insignia  of  their  vanished  glory.  My  eyes  swept 
round  the  rooms,  taking  in  the  empty  thrones,  the 
suits  of  shining  armor,  the  immense  array  of  spears, 
javelins  and  battle-axes ;  then,  drawn  by  irresistible  at- 
traction, they  glanced  downward  at  the  cases  of  shin- 
ing stones  and  golden  jewelry.  The  sight  of  these 
objects  scintillating  in  the  radium  light  caused  a 
new  idea  to  spring  into  my  mind.  As  I  made  for  the 
outer  entrance  of  the  Hall,  I  checked  my  pace,  then 
halted  altogether.  The  idea  became  a  mastering 
passion.  My  brain  was  on  fire  and  the  chilling  som- 
berness  of  the  place  lost  its  spell.  I  started  for- 
ward toward  the  cases  containing  the  crown  jewels, 
but  again  I  hesitated.  Was  this  the  time  to  falter,  to 
be  swerved  aside  from  the  main  purpose?  I  thought 
of  Astrsea  in  the  prison  cell,  waiting  patiently  for 
her  deliverance,  and  here  was  the  chance,  the  golden, 
precious  chance  to  escape  —  only  a  fool  would  juggle 
so  with  fate !  I  stood,  swayed  by  conflicting  thoughts. 
Had  I  been  left  to  wrestle  it  out  myself  I  would 
doubtless  have  put  temptation  behind  me  and  fled 
from  the  place.  But  just  at  the  critical  moment  the 
doctor  spoke. 

"  It  is  too  late  to  go  to  the  prison  —  it  would  be 
useless,  it  would  be  madness.     For  aught  we  know 


3IO  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  smoke-time  is  already  passed.  We  had  better 
hasten  to  the  dormitory." 

Was  it  too  late?  Should  I  be  compelled  to  post- 
pone our  flight  until  to-morrow?  If  I  left  the  Hall 
now,  and  found  I  could  not  go  to  the  prison,  then 
I  should  doubly  lose.  Better  to  act  on  a  certainty 
than  to  take  doubtful  chances  on  an  uncertainty.  My 
mind  was  quickly  made  up.  I  fairly  sprang  for  the 
jewels. 

"  To  work,  Doctor,  to  work !  "  I  cried.  "  Let  us 
fill  the  boat  —  this  is  our  chance !  " 

I  looked  about  for  something  in  which  to  carry 
the  jewels,  but  I  saw  nothing.  So  I  pulled  off  my 
tunic,  spread  it  on  the  floor  and  quickly  emptied  the 
contents  of  several  cases  upon  it.  Then  I  gathered 
the  ends  together  and  throwing  the  load  over  my 
shoulders  made  for  the  boat.  In  my  haste  I  had  paid 
no  attention  to  the  doctor,  but  now  I  looked  toward 
him  and  saw  him  regarding  me  as  though  he  thought 
I  had  gone  daft. 

"  Hasten !  "  I  exclaimed  impatiently ;  "  seize  a  load ! 
It  will  make  us  rich  when  we  reach  the  surface. 
Rich,  man,  fabulously  rich, —  don't  you  understand?" 

"  It  is  folly,  folly !  "  replied  the  doctor  plaintively. 
"  For  the  sake  of  this  trash  you  risk  everything. 
Don't  you  know  some  one  is  likely  to  come  in?" 


SCORPION  BECOMES  AN  ARGOSY    311 

I  looked  at  him,  I  fear,  somewhat  contemptuously, 
and  retorted  harshly: 

"  This  is  no  time  to  argue.  While  there  is  no  one 
here  I  mean  to  carry  all  the  diamonds  and  gold  to 
the  boat  that  I  can.  If  you  will  not  help,  then  stand 
by  and  see  me  do  it." 

With  this  I  marched  away  with  my  load  and  car- 
ried it  down  the  conning-tower  of  the  craft,  dumping 
it  into  one  of  the  compartments  aft.  On  emerging 
from  the  manhole  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
doctor  approaching  reluctantly  with  a  burden  on  his 
back. 

"  That's  the  way  to  do  it.  Doctor ! "  I  cried  out 
exultantly  from  the  conning-tower.  "  Hand  your 
load  up  and  get  another." 

He  lifted  up  his  precious  burden  and  while  he 
went  again  into  the  storehouse  I  emptied  it  beside  the 
first  pile.  Again  and  again  he  returned  with  a  load 
from  the  inexhaustible  Golconda.  I  instructed  him 
to  bring  diamonds  in  preference  to  all  else,  and  soon 
the  floor  of  the  submarine  was  covered  as  with  rocks 
and  gravel.  As  last  I  began  to  fear  that  the  argosy 
would  be  overloaded,  that  its  reserve  buoyancy  would 
be  offset,  but  I  calculated  that  the  torpedoes  that 
had  been  removed  and  the  empty  water-chambers 
would   allow    for    considerable   ballast.     Besides,    the 


312  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

crew  would  be  short-handed,  and  men  weighed 
something.  So  I  loaded  the  compartments  until  there 
was  scant  room  in  which  to  turn  about  and  work  the 
machinery.  I  even  partly  filled  the  water-chambers 
between  the  two  skins  of  the  vessel.  This  seemed 
a  foolish  thing  to  do,  but  why  leave  behind  any  wealth 
that  it  might  be  possible  to  carry  to  the  surface? 

When  at  last  I  called  a  halt  from  sheer  certainty 
that  the  boat  contained  all  it  would  carry,  we  ob- 
tained old  boards  from  the  relics  of  ships  and  placed 
them  on  top  of  the  jewels  and  diamonds  with  the 
idea  of  hiding  the  treasure  from  any  casual  visitor. 
Of  course,  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  guard  against 
investigation  —  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  hope  there 
would  be  no  investigation.  But  was  there  any  way  in 
which  the  risk  could  be  minimized?  I  cudgeled  my 
brain,  and  then  I  thought  of  shutting  the  hatch-lid  — 
the  inspectors  could  not  open  it  before,  perhaps  they 
would  not  even  try  it  again.  So  as  I  left  the  boat  I 
closed  the  lid  with  a  bang.  I  then  tried  to  reopen  it, 
and  for  a  few  moments  I  was  filled  with  consternation, 
for  lift  as  I  might  it  would  not  yield.  Then  I  got  a 
hammer  and  began  to  pound  the  handle  and  the  edge 
of  the  cover,  as  I  had  the  day  before.  I  found  that 
the  handle  moved  slightly  under  the  blows.  The  ex- 
planation was  at  once  apparent  —  there  was  a  hasp  or 


SCORPION  BECOMES  AN  ARGOSY    313 

a  small  bolt  on  the  inside,  and  a  slight  turning  of  the 
handle  was  necessary.  I  now  opened  it  with  ease  and 
once  more  slammed  it  shut. 

Now  that  the  work  was  done  I  gave  a  thought  to 
our  condition.  Both  the  doctor  and  myself  were 
covered  from  head  to  foot  with  dirt  and  grease  and 
perspiration.  We  washed  our  hands  and  faces  in 
the  water  on  the  floor  of  the  sea-chamber,  and  de- 
parted slowly,  with  aching  limbs,  through  the  vast 
and  silent  chambers  of  the  Hall.  For  hours  we  had 
both  been  undergoing  such  excitement  as  to  be  wholly 
oblivious  to  tired  muscles  and  empty  stomachs,  but 
now  the  reaction  had  come.  Too  wearied  to  talk  or 
think  we  made  our  way  to  the  dormitory.  On  going 
through  the  treasure-rooms,  however,  I  glanced 
about  and  saw  that  our  raid  upon  it  had  made  no 
appreciable  difference  in  its  appearance  —  so  in- 
exhaustible was  the  hoard  of  wealth.  We  found 
two  guards  outside  the  entrance  of  the  Hall,  but  after 
examining  our  credentials  they  let  us  pass  without 
a  word.  When  we  arrived  at  the  dormitory  we 
found  that  the  smoke-time  had  long  passed,  and  that 
all  had  retired.  We  threw  ourselves  down  on  our 
beds  and  slept  the  sleep  of  exhaustion. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

MY    LAST    SERVICES    FOR    THE    STATE    AS    A    VORUNKIAN 

With  the  opening  of  the  Vorunk  the  next  morn- 
ing I  was  in  my  customary  seat,  prepared  to  perform 
what  I  intended  should  be  my  last  service  for  the 
Democracy.  But  because  of  the  nervous  excite- 
ment under  which  I  labored,  I  found  it  difficult  to 
feign  calmness.  I  could  not  concentrate  my  mind 
on  the  proceedings,  it  was  hard  to  remain  quiet  in 
my  seat,  and  when  I  talked  my  tongue  ran  away  from 
me.  One  thought  kept  reiterating  itself  in  my  con- 
sciousness —  the  intoxicated,  maddening  thought  that 
I  was  going  to  escape  —  that  Astraea  and  I  would  in 
a  few  hours  be  in  the  upper  world,  where  the  sun 
shone,  where  liberty  and  happiness  and  life  were, 
where  the  black  dungeon  of  Atlantis,  with  its  tyranni- 
cal laws,  its  dehumanized  people  and  its  cold,  cheer- 
less, inane  and  monotonous  existence  would  no 
longer  be  able  to  throttle  our  lives  and  keep  us  dan- 
gling on  the  brink  of  fearful  death. 

I  had  come  to  this  sea-covered  purgatory  in  a 
mad  effort  to  escape  from  freedom.     In  my  ignorance 

314 


LAST  SERVICES  AS  VORUNKIAN     315 

I  had  cried  out  for  socialism  and  had  plunged  be- 
neath the  waters  in  search  of  death  rather  than  as- 
sume the  responsibiHty  of  making  my  own  Hving. 
Instead  of  dying,  my  prayer  for  sociaHsm  had  been 
answered.  Instead  of  dwelling  in  a  land  where  the 
law  was  that  the  world  owed  no  man  a  living,  I 
had  been  suddenly  transported  to  a  country  where 
the  world  owed  every  man  a  living,  but  I  had  found 
that  it  was  a  mighty  poor  living,  and  I  had  also 
found  that  while  I  had  escaped  working  for  my  own 
livelihood  I  had  not  escaped  working  for  the  live- 
lihood of  others.  I  had  learned  a  bitter  lesson.  Be- 
tween working  for  one's  self,  which  is  selfish  labor, 
and  working  one  for  all  and  all  for  each,  which  is 
socialistic,  unselfish  and  humanitarian  labor,  I  had 
found  a  great  gulf  fixed.  I  now  knew  that  working 
for  one's  self  spelled  Liberty  and  working  for  man- 
kind in  general  and  no  one  in  particular  spelled 
Slavery, 

I  had  found  that  when  the  individual  was  free  and 
planned  and  worked  for  his  own  benefit,  he  benefited 
all  his  brother  men,  as  well  as  himself,  and  that 
when  he  worked,  not  for  his  own  benefit  but  for  the 
benefit  of  the  entire  State,  he  injured,  not  only  him- 
self, but  also  all  his  brother  men.  It  had  required 
severe  experience  for  me  to  see  the  inexorable  logic 


3i6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

behind  this  paradox.  The  trouble  with  me  had  been 
that  I  had  never  used  my  brain.  I  had  never  really- 
studied  the  problems  of  social  life.  I  had  taken  the 
Golden  Rule  to  my  heart  and  had  given  it  a  mean- 
ing in  conflict  with  the  laws  of  the  Creator,  I  had 
not  seen  that  socialism  was  only  a  superficial  dream 
and,  as  all  superficial  things  are  likely  to  be,  was  ut- 
terly false  and  delusive.  The  picture  of  paradise, 
in  which  there  would  be  no  labor  and  only  lazy  con- 
tentment, had  affected  me,  and  I  had  not  realized  that 
mind  and  muscle  were  given  men  to  be  used,  and 
that  if  not  used  existence  would  be  marked  by  in- 
sufferable ennui  and  the  warping  of  manhood.  I 
had  not  realized  that  men  were  compelled  to  labor 
in  order  to  force  their  mental  and  physical  develop- 
ment, and  that  it  was  the  natural  law  for  the  in- 
dividual to  labor  primarily  for  himself,  because  only 
by  his  own  voluntary  exertion  could  his  faculties, 
his  soul,  be  developed.  I  had  not  seen  that  personal 
reward  was  the  highest  incentive  to  make  the  indi- 
vidual struggle  to  the  full  extent  of  his  strength, 
that  unless  he  could  enjoy  the  tangible  fruits  of 
achievement,  be  it  wealth,  fame,  learning  or  what 
not,  he  would  not  try  to  achieve. 

I  had  not  appreciated  the  truth  that  as  the  units 
are  so  will  be  the   whole;  that   if   social   conditions 


LAST  SERVICES  AS  VORUNKIAN     317 

develop  energetic,  independent,  self-thinking,  master- 
ful men  the  whole  state  will  be  progressive,  prosper- 
ous and  enlightened,  and  that  if  conditions  tend  to 
make  the  units  dependent,  slothful,  ignorant  and  weak 
the  whole  state  will  become  steeped  in  misery,  pov- 
erty, depravity  and  intellectual  darkness.  I  had  not 
discerned  that  the  Golden  Rule  was  a  guide  for  free 
men  and  not  for  slaves,  that  it  was  meant  to  teach 
men  in  their  voluntary  conduct  to  have  regard  for 
others,  to  be  charitable  and  just  to  those  whom  they 
have  it  in  their  power  to  injure.  It  was  a  Rule  for 
the  strong  to  obey,  and  as  they  obeyed  so  would  they 
reap  the  reward  of  their  own  self-respect  as  well  as 
the  approbation  of  others.  Besides,  it  was  a  Rule 
which  could  not  be  flagrantly  disregarded,  for  it  was, 
in  fact,  the  law  of  equal  rights ;  and  where  equal 
rights  were  recognized  there  were  statutes  to  punish 
those  who  infringed  on  them.  The  Golden  Rule 
was  thus  the  law  of  liberty  and  not  of  socialistic 
slavery.  If  socialism  had  always  existed,  there  would 
never  have  been  a  Golden  Rule,  for  if  men  were  not 
free  agents  but  mere  automata,  such  a  rule  would 
be  a  meaningless  collocation  of  words. 

The  important  thing  in  life  is,  not  that  men  should 
each  have  exactly  the  same  number  of  loaves  of 
bread,  but  that  they  should  possess  souls  capable  of 


3i8  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

being  just,  charitable,  and  self-sacrificing  of  their  own 
volition;  this  is  impossible  in  socialism,  where  no 
man,  do  what  he  will,  can  have  more  loaves  or  other 
labor-produced  wealth  than  another.  All  this  I  now 
clearly  saw,  and  as  I  sat  in  the  hall  of  the  Vorunk 
that  day  I  was  feverish  with  the  joyful  anticipation 
of  escaping  from  a  nation  that,  with  marvelous 
fatuity,  was  seeking  to  reverse  the  plain  purposes 
of  man's  creation.  I  was  about  to  be  liberated  from 
a  Stygian  cesspool  that  was  stifling  me,  and  I  could 
hardly  restrain  my  impatience   for  the  evening. 

In  order  to  divert  my  mind,  I  resorted  to  the  only 
expedient  I  could  think  of.  This  was  the  framing 
of  a  bill,  which  I  could  leave  as  my  final  contribu- 
tion to  the  legal  lore  which  bolstered  up  the  equality 
of  the  State.  I  cast  about  in  my  mind  to  see  what 
remained  that  might  be  legislated  upon,  and  I  finally 
determined  on  a  measure  to  limit  to  ten  inches  the 
length  of  the  step  in  walking  or  running.  I  had 
observed  that,  owing  to  the  varying  lengths  of  the 
legs  of  different  individuals,  some  would  cover  a 
much  greater  distance  in  one  step  than  others,  and 
this  certainly  did  not  seem  in  accord  with  complete 
equality.  Surely  no  man  should  be  able  to  cover 
more  ground  than  another  with  a  like  exertion. 

Having  come  to  the  conclusion  that  a  law  on  the 


LAST  SERVICES  AS  VORUNKIAN      319 

matter  would  be  in  consonance  with  the  principles  of 
the  State,  I  next  pondered  as  to  what  should  be 
the  proper  length  of  a  legal  step.,  My  decision  was 
governed  by  merciful  considerations.  I  had  observed 
that  a  number  of  my  comrades  did  not  advance  more 
than  ten  inches  at  a  time,  and  it  might  be  that  it 
was  a  physical  impossibility  for  them  to  take  a 
greater  step.  Therefore,  out  of  compassion  for  them, 
and  also  incidentally  out  of  respect  for  that  immutable 
rule  of  the  Democracy  that  the  pace  must  be  set  by 
the  slowest,  I  fixed  the  length  of  the  step  thereafter 
to  be  taken  by  all  the  loyal  citizens  of  the  nation 
at  ten  inches. 

While  putting  my  idea  into  writing,  I  happened  to 
notice  the  dwarf  as  he  walked  across  the  room  and 
saw  that,  while  one  of  his  legs  was  shorter  than  the 
other,  he  nevertheless  covered  fully  two  feet  in 
every  stride.  This  only  made  me  the  more  enamor- 
ed of  my  measure,  and,  with  some  pardonable  eclat, 
I  read  it  to  my  colleagues.  I  glanced  at  the  dwarf 
and  saw  him  regarding  me  with  a  cold  malignant 
stare.  When  he  saw  my  eyes  rest  on  him,  he  as- 
sumed his  usual  friendly  mask  and  rising,  said : 

"  The  member  has  introduced  a  very  good  bill  and 
the  committee  will  give  it  early  consideration." 

"  Will  it  be  reported  on  to-day  ?  "  I  asked. 


320  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  I  can  not  say.  The  committee  has  a  good  deal 
of  work  before  it,  but  you  may  expect  an  early  re- 
port." 

The  cold,  incisive  way  in  which  he  spoke  was 
plainly  an  indication  of  anger,  but  what  did  I  care? 
I  only  wished  I  knew  how  I  could  still  further  exas- 
perate him,  without  incurring  the  risk  of  being  ar- 
rested. It  went  against  the  grain  to  have  the  last 
bill  of  which  I  should  be  the  father  hung  up  in  com- 
mittee, merely  because  the  chairman  of  the  committee 
could  not  conveniently  comply  with  its  provisions. 
I  had  no  doubt  that  if  the  measure  had  provided  that 
every  man  should  limp,  or  stride  not  less  than  two 
feet,  the  committee  would  have  been  favorably  im- 
pressed. Perhaps  I  might  make  a  speech,  I  thought, 
demonstrating  so  clearly  the  correctness  of  the  bill 
in  principle  that  even  the  committee  would  not  be 
able  to  find  a  plausible  excuse  for  turning  it  down. 
I  was  about  to  attempt  this,  when  it  occurred  to 
me  that  It  would  be  more  politic  to  effect  a  compro- 
mise with  the  committee.  I  thought  very  hard,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  asked  the  privilege  of  introducing 
an  amendment  to  the  bill.  Permission  being  granted, 
I  said: 

"  Since  drawing  up  my  measure  I  have  thought 
that  the  bill  would  work  an  unnecessary  hardship  on 


LAST  SERVICES  AS  VORUNKIAN      321 

those  among  us  who  have  only  one  leg,  or  one  leg 
shorter  than  the  other,  or  legs  so  twisted  that  it  is 
a  physical  impossibility  to  take  ten-inch  steps.  Hence 
I  wish  to  amend  my  bill  by  exempting  such  persons 
on  their  passing  a  proper  examination  and  receiv- 
ing a  special  certificate  from  the  new  department 
created  by  the  bill." 

The  dwarf  smiled  on  me  and  followed  me  in  ad- 
dressing the  assembly.    He  spoke  as  follows : 

"  I  believe  the  amendment  makes  the  bill  as  nearly 
perfect  as  it  can  be  made,  and  with  the  permission 
of  the  Vorunk  I  would  suggest,  in  consideration  of 
the  evident  desire  of  the  author  of  the  measure  that 
action  be  taken  immediately,  that  it  now  be  put  on 
its  passage." 

The  bill  was  accordingly  passed  unanimously,  and 
it  was  quite  refreshing  to  note  the  mincing  steps  which 
my  colleagues  thereafter  took  in  moving  about  the 
chamber.  I  was  greatly  edified,  and  in  my  mind's 
eye  I  could  see  the  whole  nation  going  about  as 
though  every  man  wore  invisible   hobbles. 

I  was  studying  how  I  might  further  leave  my  im- 
press on  the  Democracy,  when  an  inspector  entered 
the  chamber  and  coming  up  to  me  said: 

"You  are  489  A  D  G  I  believe?" 

"Yes." 


322  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  I  am  an  inspector  of  the  Department  of  Mar- 
riages," he  continued,  "  and  it  is  my  privilege  to  in- 
form you  that  the  State  has  taken  note  of  your  being 
without  a  wife  although  of  marriageable  age,  and 
has  now  made  up  for  the  deficiency  by  selecting  — 66 
to  be  your  better  half." 

I  gasped,  but  quickly  replied: 

"  The  State,  I  am  sure,  is  kind." 

The  expected  had  happened.  I  remembered  that 
— 66  was  Ugla,  the  amorous  old  witch  who  had  made 
me  the  apple  of  her  eye.  I  laughed  to  myself  at  the 
good  joke  I  was  about  to  play  by  leaving  the  fair  bride 
bereft  on  the  eve  of  her  marriage.  It  would  have  been 
very  disappointing  to  bid  farewell  to  the  country  be- 
fore the  official  cards  were  issued  for  the  marriage. 

"  As  you  are  perhaps  not  aware  of  the  rules  gov- 
erning courtship  and  marriage,"  continued  the  in- 
spector, "  it  is  my  duty  to  hand  you  these  printed 
regulations."  He  handed  me  a  paper.  "  You  can 
read  them  at  your  leisure,"  he  continued.  "  The 
date  for  the  wedding  will  be  four  days  hence.  I 
have  the  honor  to  bid  you  good  day." 

Leaving  me  he  then  approached  the  dwarf,  and 
I  cast  my  eye  over  the  paper  he  had  given  me.  It 
was  very  lengthy  and  began  in  this  wise: 

"  The  bride  and  groom  shall  take  their  first  view 


LAST  SERVICES  AS  VORUNKIAN     323 

of  each  other  under  the  chaperonage  of  two  inspectors 
of  the  Department  of  Marriage.     On  this  occasion  the 
contracting  parties   shall  be  seated  at  least  ten  feet 
apart  and  shall  gaze  at  each  other  intently  for  five 
minutes  without  speaking.     Respect  for  the  marriage 
institutions  of  the  Democracy  demands  that  both  dis- 
play   evidences    of    pleasure    on    their    countenances. 
They  shall,  in  fact,  manifest  intense  longing  in  their 
eyes.     The  inspectors  are  strictly  enjoined  to  report 
any  looks  of  dislike  or  scorn  and  any  indications  of 
shrinking  or  aversion.     Dissatisfaction  with  the  mari- 
tal partner  selected  by  the  State  is  proof  of  insincere 
citizenship,  ingratitude  for  favors  bestowed  and  dis- 
ordered mentality.     The  initial  inspection  being  over 
the  happy  couple  shall  rise  from  their  seats  and  ad- 
vance toward  each  other.     The  groom  shall  seize  the 
hand  of  the  bride  and  say  that  he  takes  her  for  his 
wife.     He    shall    say   this    ardently.     The    inspectors 
shall  report  fully  as  to  the  earnestness  and  force  he 
puts  into  his  voice.     The  bride  shall  now  whisper  that 
the    marriage    is    agreeable    to    her.     Having    thus 
plighted  their  troth  it  is  imperative  that  they  seal  it 
with  a  kiss.     This  ends  the  first  meeting." 

I  tried  to  imagine  my  going  through  this  set  per- 
formance with  the  blear-eyed  Ugla.  It  was  too  fright- 
ful to  contemplate.     As  I  was  about  to  read  the  next 


324  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

paragraph  the  dwarf  interrupted  me  by  remarking 
in  my  ear: 

"  I  see  that  you  and  I  are  both  about  to  become 
benedicts.  I  presume  mutual  congratulations  are  in 
order." 

It  suddenly  flashed  on  my  mind  that  Astrsea's  mar- 
riage with  the  dwarf  had  also  been  commanded.  I 
was  consumed  with  anger,  but  I  choked  my  resent- 
ment by  thinking  how  this  engagement  would  also  add 
interest  to  our  sudden  departure.  I  looked  up  at  the 
dwarf  and  said: 

"  Congratulations  must  be  in  order,  if  you  also  have 
been  provided  with  a  wife." 

"  I  am  to  marry,"  he  responded,  smiling,  "  a  girl 
who  is  still  in  prison  as  an  atavar  but  who  has  been 
pronounced  cured." 

"  Lucky  dog !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Spare  your  compliments !  "  he  cried,  bristling  up. 

I  replied  calmly :  "  I  meant  to  say  that  you  are 
fortunate  in  that  she  is  no  longer  insane.  I  am  to 
marry  Ugla,  the  friend  of  Ate  and  your  Highness." 
As  I  spoke  the  last  words  I  made  a  profound  courtesy. 

"  Speak  lower,"  he  whispered,  much  mollified,  "  do 
not  give  me  titles  in  the  presence  of  others.  I  am 
glad  to  see  you  are  so  tractable.  We  fully  under- 
stand each  other,  I  am  sure.     I  shall  take  much  pleas- 


LAST  SERVICES  AS  VORUNKIAN     325 

ure   in   welcoming  you   into  the  inner  circle   of  the 
Democracy." 

"  My  advancement  is  very  rapid,"  I  whispered  in 
return.  "  I  shall  not  hide  from  you  that  I  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  my  marriage  with  Ugla.  I 
shall  endeavor  to  requite  you  fully  for  the  unmerited 
trust  you  have  reposed  in  me." 

"I  foresee,"  he  wjiispered  in  a  burst  of  confidence 
'that  we  shall  be  able  to  do  much  for  our  mutual 
mterests  in  the  future." 

"You  possess  the  power,"  I  remarked  calmly,  "but 
you  are  only  beginning  to  seize  the  emoluments." 

I  looked  at  him  meaningly  and  he  returned  my  look 
with  mterest.     Then  he  remarked  gravely: 

"I  see  that  you  thoroughly  understand,  and  you 
may  depend  on  it  I  need  and  shall  value  highly  your 
assistance  and  advice." 

He  left  me,  casting  furtive  glances  my  way,   like 
a  conspirator  who  is  not  altogether  sure  he  has  not 
gfone  too    far.     I   maintained    a    sober    countenance 
however,  and  endeavored  to  live  up  to  my  part      It 
was  not  the  easiest  of  roles  to  play,  for  the  tempta- 
tion to  laugh  was  strong  upon  me. 
"  The  old  fool !  "  I  said  to  myself. 
When  later  in  the  day  I  was  asked  about  the  boat, 
1  replied  that  my  examination  of  it  was  not  com- 


326  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

pleted  and  requested  an  exoneration  from  the  Vorunk 
for  working  overtime  the  evening  before  and  missing 
my  dinner. 

"  The  boat  is  not  provided  with  a  bell,"  I  ex- 
plained, "  and  I  was  not  informed  of  the  time  to 
eat  or  of  the  time  to  leave  the  Hall  for  the  night. 
The  result  was  that  I  was  astounded  on  reaching  the 
dormitory  to  find  that  all  had  retired." 

On  motion  of  the  dwarf  a  special  dispensation  was 
granted,  relieving  me  from  punishment  for  my  in- 
advertent infraction  of  the  rules  as  to  eating  and 
going  to  bed. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

MY  PLANS   ARE   FRUSTRATED 

The  day  dragged  itself  to  a  close  and  the  doctor 
and  I  were  at  last  alone  in  the  laboratory,  going  over 
our  plans  for  the  night.  These  were  simple  enough. 
We  were  first  to  proceed  to  the  prison  to  release 
Astrssa,  and  then  the  three  of  us  would  go  to  the 
monument,  light  the  fuse,  take  a  car  for  the  Hall  and 
lose  no  time  in  boarding  the  boat  and  getting  away. 
We  were  rapidly  making  our  small  preparations 
when  some  one  knocked  at  the  door. 

"  Visitors !  "  I  exclaimed  in  a  panic. 

The  doctor  opened  the  door  and  there  stood  before 
us  the  sea-surgeon. 

"  I  do  not  want  to  intrude,"  he  said  with  his  usual 
smile,  "  but  I  am  so  interested,  you  know,  in  your 
enterprise." 

I  was  in  despair.  I  knew  it  would  be  impossible 
to  get  rid  of  him,  and  there  was  no  time  to  lose. 
The  doctor  looked  at  me  helplessly. 

"  We  were  just  about  to  start,"  I  said  at  last. 
"  Would  you  like  to  go  with  us  again  ?  "     I  spoke 

327 


328  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

rather  ungraciously,  but  the  surgeon  was  wholly  ob- 
livious to  the  coolness. 

"  Gladly,  gladly ! "  he  replied,  his  countenance 
beaming. 

I  was  nonplussed.  Should  we  take  him  with  us  in 
the  boat?  Suppose  he  refused  to  go?  I  had  it.  We 
would  say  nothing  to  him  of  our  intentions  until  the 
last  moment,  and  then,  if  he  declined  to  enter  the  boat, 
we  would  bind  and  gag  him.  But  we  could  not  take 
him  to  the  prison  or  to  the  monument !  This  was  a 
disconcerting  thought.  There  was  only  one  other 
thing  to  do.  The  doctor  would  have  to  take  him  to 
the  Hall  while  I  went  for  Astrsea  alone. 

"  My  dear  surgeon,"  I  said,  "  could  you  not  go  and 
get  us  a  few  cigars  ?  " 

"  Certainly ! "  he  replied,  leaving  the  room  with 
alacrity. 

I  rapidly  explained  to  the  doctor  my  plan.  He  de- 
murred greatly,  because  he  would  not  be  able  to  light 
the  fuse  of  the  monument  himself,  but  I  gave  him 
my  solemn  assurance  that  I  would  attend  to  the  mat- 
ter faithfully. 

When  the  surgeon  returned  we  lighted  our  cigars, 
and  for  a  few  minutes  talked  on  indifferent  topics, 
the  doctor  and  I  as  unconcerned  as  we  could  appear. 
Suddenly  I  arose  aad  exclaimed: 


MY  PLANS  ARE  FRUSTRATED        329 

"  If  I  did  not  almost  forget !  I  had  an  engage- 
ment to  see  the  dwarf  on  a  matter  of  State.  I  must 
be  off  immediately.  You,  Doctor,  take  our  friend 
to  the  Hall,  and  I  will  join  you  there  as  soon  as  I 
can." 

I  hurried  away  as  fast  as  I  could,  under  the  con- 
straint placed  on  my  progress  by  the  "  Short  Step 
Bill,"  which  I  now  thoroughly  anathematized.  When 
I  reached  the  street  I  threw  away  the  cigar  I  had  only 
pretended  to  smoke.  I  had  gone  but  a  short  dis- 
tance when  I  stopped  abruptly. 

"  My  pistols !  "  I  muttered.  "  Left  behind  at  the 
laboratory,  and  this  of  all  nights !  " 

The  day  I  had  taken  the  weapons  from  the  sub- 
marine I  gave  them  over  to  the  doctor,  who  had 
hidden  them  in  the  laboratory.  I  had  found  it  inadvis- 
able to  wear  them  constantly,  because  of  the  bulge  they 
made  about  my  waist,  which  would  certainly  have 
been  noticed.  But  now  that  I  was  putting  into  execu- 
tion my  plans  of  escape  it  was  nothing  short  of 
criminal  negligence  to  leave  them  behind.  I  would 
not  go  back,  however.  Time  was  too  precious,  and, 
besides,  how  could  I  get  them  without  the  surgeon's 
knowledge  ? 

I  continued  my  journey  to  the  prison,  peering  con- 
stantly about  as  I   went.     The  night  was  unusually 


330  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

still,  and  I  gained  the  entrance  way  to  the  door  of 
the  third  corridor  without  seeing  a  single  being. 
Cautiously  I  approached  the  door,  inserted  the  key, 
unlocked  and  opened  it.  The  cold  corridor  stretched 
before  me,  deserted  and  still.  With  beating  heart 
I  swiftly  glided  forward  to  take  Astraea  from  her  cell 
for  the  last  time.  In  a  minute  more  how  happy  she 
would  be  —  how  happy  I  would  be!  Hand  in  hand 
we  would  take  our  flight ;  once  we  gained  the  start 
we  would  laugh  at  all  pursuit.  There  was  a  song  in 
my  heart,  the  darkness  was  already  gone  and  I  was 
entering  on  a  future  bright  with  love  and  hope  and 
achievement.  Then  suddenly  I  was  plunged  head- 
long into  black  abysmal   depths. 

I  had  reached  the  front  of  the  cell  and  had  peered 
through  the  iron  bars,  expecting  to  see  the  bright 
welcome  on  the  face  I  adored,  but  instead  I  gazed 
into  the  small  basilisk  eyes  of  the  witch,  gleaming 
malignantly  into  mine. 

A  mist  came  before  me  and  my  knees  gave  way.  The 
moment  was  such  as  make  men's  hair  to  grow  gray, 
and  their  minds  to  become  unhinged.  In  a  trice  I 
had  lost  everything  —  bride,  fortune  and  freedom, 
and  death  in  horrid  shape  awaited  me.  The  first 
(glimpse  of  the  witch's  baleful  gaze  told  me  all.  I 
stood  looking  blankly  into  her  face.     Then  an  ago- 


MY  PLANS  ARE  FRUSTRATED        331 

nized  scream  pierced  me  to  the  soul,  and  turning  my 
eyes  from  the  witch  I  saw  Astrsea  fall  fainting  to 
the  floor. 

The  strength  of  madness  came  to  me.  With  a 
kick  the  cell  door  flew  open.  I  sprang  within,  and 
took  her  in  my  arms.  With  my  burden  I  stepped 
quickly  forward  —  I  was  filled  with  a  resolve  to 
steal  the  girl  from  under  the  very  eyes  of  her  jailer! 
But  when  I  reached  the  door  of  the  cell  I  found  it 
shut  and  locked  —  the  witch  had  seized  her  chance 
while  I  was  leaning  over  the  girl.  I  was  caught  and 
trapped.  I  knew  it.  I  drew  the  girl  close  in  my 
embrace  and  gave  her  one  kiss,  a  kiss  of  reverence 
and  despair,  and  then  gently  laid  her  down.  So  con- 
stituted is  the  brain  of  man  that  one  minute  it  may 
be  tempest-torn  and  the  next  calm  and  placid.  As 
I  laid  down  my  precious  burden  I  felt  as  though  I 
was  consigning  it  to  the  grave.  I  rose  cool  and  col- 
lected, albeit  hopelesSc  I  glanced  toward  the  witch 
and  said: 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do?  " 

My  voice  sounded  strange  in  my  ears.  The  witch 
glowered  on  me,  though  her  eyes  seemed  to  blaze 
with  triumph. 

"  I?:  has  gone  beyond  me,"  she  replied.  As  she 
leaned  on  her  stick  I  could  see  that  she  seemed  to 


332  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

be  palsied  from  excitement,  for  her  hand  shook  and 
her  head  wagged  to  and  fro. 

A  noise  at  the  cell  door  attracted  me.  I  looked 
about  and  saw  half  a  dozen  men.  The  witch  now 
fairly  shrieked: 

"  I  summoned  the  guards  and  they  are  here !  " 

Perhaps  she  had  feared  I  would  attack  her  and  the 
relief  she  felt  found  vent  in  this  discordant  burst. 

I  leaned  down  once  more  and  kissed  the  girl  on 
her  unconscious  brow,  for  what  I  thought  would  be 
the  last  time,  and  walking  to  the  cell  door  which 
now  had  been  opened,  I  said  to  the  guards  who  were 
about  to  seize  me: 

"  I  submit.     I  am  your  prisoner." 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE   DWARF    HAS    THE    TRUTH    TOLD  TO   HIM 

I  was  roughly  handled,  my  wrists  were  caxight  with 
handcuffs,  and  while  the  guards  brandished  iron  weap- 
ons in  front  and  rear  I  was  told  to  march.  They 
took  me  out  of  the  prison  by  the  way  I  had  so  often 
come  to  pay  my  secret  visits  to  Astraea.  The  spot 
where  she  and  I  had  spent  many  happy  hours  to- 
gether drew  one  last  lingering  look  from  my  eyes, 
and  then  I  went  forward  stolidly,  with  my  chin  on 
my  breast,  a  condemned  convict  of  the  Democracy. 
I  was  unmindful  where  we  went ;  I  no  longer  cared. 
Despair  had  at  last  taken  me  for  its  own, —  I  had 
given  up  the  battle. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  many  in  my  place  wpuld  have 
struggled  desperately  to  the  end.  They  would  doubt- 
less have  brushed  the  witch  aside,  or  frightened  her 
into  opening  the  cell  door,  and  then  would  have 
carried  the  unconscious  girl  out  into  the  night  and 
fled  across  the  city.  When  pursued  by  the  guards 
and  overtaken,  as  they  assuredly  would  have  been, 
they  would  have  fought  until  beaten  into  insensibilityo 

333 


334  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

But  as  for  me,  I  had  quickly  realized  the  futility  of 
resistance.  Had  the  prison  been  close  to  the  Hall 
of  Curiosities  it  might  have  been  worth  while  to 
try  what  grit  and  desperate  will  could  do,  but  it 
was  miles  away,  and  was  to  be  reached  only  by  the 
railway.  It  is  one  thing  to  be  valorous  when  there 
is  a  glimmering  hope  of  success,  and  quite  another 
thing  to  struggle  madly  with  the  inevitable. 

We  had  proceeded  for  many  minutes,  I  know  not 
how  many  —  it  might  have  been  hours  —  when  I 
was  taken  through  clanging  doors  and  along  dreary 
corridors  of  stone,  until  finally  I  was  thrown  into 
a  dungeon  where  my  legs  were  fettered  in  irons. 
They  left  me.  I  heard  their  steps  retreating  in  the 
corridor,  and  silence  settled  like  a  pall.  I  lay  on  the 
bare  floor,  stunned  with  a  sense  of  irremedial  loss, 
heedless  of  the  passage  of  time  and  barely  conscious 
of  my  surroundings.  I  could  see  that  the  dungeon 
was  small,  and  without  furniture  of  any  sort,  that  its 
door  was  made  of  solid  iron,  that  the  walls  were  stone 
and  barely  visible  in  the  dim  light  which  came  through 
the  iron  grating  of  a  small  opening  connecting  with 
the  corridor.  But  these  things  caused  scarce  a  passing 
thought.  What  matters  it  to  the  condemned  what 
manner  of  dungeon  he  inhabits? 

The  minutes  had  probably  run  into  hours  when  my 


THE  DWARF  HAS  THE  TRUTH        335 

ears  caught  the  tread  of  approaching  feet.  Nearer 
and  nearer  came  the  sounds,  until  they  ceased  out- 
side my  cell.  Then  came  the  noise  of  opening  the 
lock,  and  the  door  flew  back  on  its  hinges.  I  glanced 
up  to  see  who  might  be  my  visitor,  and  saw  not  with- 
out some  interest  that  it  was  his  Highness,  the  dwarf, 
come  to  pay  a  call  to  his  new  lieutenant! 

"Are  you  there.  No.  489?"  he  asked  as  he  peered 
into  the  dungeon,  his  eyes  as  yet  unable  to  see  through 
the  darkness. 

"  How  could  I  be  elsewhere,  your  gracious  Maj- 
esty?" I  replied,  taking  a  grim  satisfaction  in  bait- 
ing him. 

"  I  presume  you  mean  to  be  facetious,"  he  replied 
sternly,  "  It  is  out  of  place  in  one  in  your  present 
straits." 

He  strode  into  the   dungeon. 

"  I  can  not  see  why,"  I  said  quietly.  "  Your  High- 
ness knows  that  when  a  man  has  reached  the  end  of 
his  tether  he  does  not  restrain  his  tongue,  unless, 
forsooth,  he  is  gagged.  Surely  you  have  not  so  soon 
changed  your  fancy  as  to  titles  of  royalty  ?  " 

The  dwarf  made  a  deprecatory  gesture  with  his 
hand, —  the  hand  of  the  one  repellent  digit. 

"  I  did  not  come  to  bandy  words,"  he  said  testily. 
"  I  came  to  ask  you  a  question,  to  which  I  want  a 


336  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

positive  answer.  Will  you  or  will  you  not  marry 
Ugla?" 

"  Suppose  I  said  yes,  what  then  ?  " 

"  You  will  be  released  and  your  recent  escapade 
will  be  forgotten." 

There  was  a  note  of  anxiety  in  his  tone  which 
caught  my  attention.  I  remained  silent  and  he  con- 
tinued : 

"  Think  well  of  what  I  have  said.  You  know  what 
this  chance  for  liberty  means  to  you.  It  means  an 
enviable  position  in  the  State.  You  may  even  count 
upon  enjoying  privileges  not  accorded  others.  Ugla 
will  make  you  a  good  wife,  though  you  may  not  now 
think  it.  You  will  be  a  member  of  the  inner  circle, 
and  I  will  go  far  in  advancing  your  fortunes.  Be 
advised.  Do  not,  like  a  headstrong  youth,  rush  to 
your  death." 

I  was  still  silent. 

"  You  know  my  power.  For  some  years  I  have 
held  the  destiny  of  the  Democracy  in  my  own  hands. 
The  time  is  growing  ripe  for  me  to  reach  out  and 
grasp  the  substance  of  authority  as  well  as  the 
shadow.  There  is  none  that  dares  oppose  me.  Be 
tractable  in  this  one  matter, —  it  is  not  much  to  ask, 
—  and  I  will  promise  you  on  my  sacred  honor  that 
you  shall  have  all  the  slaves  and  all  the  food  and 


THE  DWARF  HAS  THE  TRUTH       337 

adornment  and  all  the  power  that  you  may  crave,  next 
my  own.     What  more  can  I  offer  you  ?  " 

He  strode  up  and  down  the  cell,  waiting  for  my 
answer.  His  person  was  hideous  and  repugnant,  but 
association  with  him  had  moderated  my  dislike  and 
I  was  beginning  to  admire  him  for  his  masterful 
ability.  Had  he  desired  to  marry  some  one  other 
than  Astraea  I  would,  very  likely,  have  thrown  my- 
self on  his  mercy,  urged  him  to  cancel  the  com- 
mand for  my  marriage  to  Ugla  and  give  me  Astrsea 
as  my  wife.  Then  I  would  have  promised  him  faith- 
ful service,  but  for  no  other  price  would  I  have  sold 
myself  to  the  devil ;  for  well  I  knew  that  is  what  the 
compact  would  have  meant. 

I  studied  his  demeanor  as  he  walked  to  and  fro,  and 
wondered  at  his  urgent  desire  that  I  should  marry 
Ugla.  Could  it  be  possible  that  he  had  made  a  secret 
visit  to  my  cell  in  the  dead  of  night,  merely  because  of 
a  desire  to  save  me  and  gain  for  himself  a  useful 
coadjutor  in  his  schemes?  The  more  I  thought  of  it 
the  more  suspicious  I  grew  of  his  motives.  There 
must  be  a  stronger  reason  for  his  visit  than  appeared 
on  the  surface.  He  was  too  confident  of  his  own 
power  to  feel  the  need  of  my  assistance  —  that  was 
merely  an  excuse,  the  subtle  flattery  of  which  was  cal- 
culated to  allay  my  suspicions  as  to  the  true  grounds 


338  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

of  his  anxiety.  What  did  the  man  really  want?  He 
wanted  to  marry  Astr^a.  That  was  it !  In  some  way 
his  visit  related  to  that.  Could  it  be  that  she  had  been 
interrogated  and  had  refused  to  marry  him?  It  was 
possible.  It  was  also  possible  when  he  saw  she  was 
fixed  in  her  decision  that  he  had  formed  the  idea  of 
inducing  me  to  wed  Ugla,  believing  that  if  I  yielded 
the  girl  could  in  turn  be  induced  to  wed  him.  I  was 
satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  I  had  now  guessed  the 
correct  reason  for  his  visit,  and  raising  myself  up  from 
the  ground  I  faced  him  that  I  might  lend  emphasis  to 
my  words. 

"  You  stunted  toad !  "  I  said  between  my  teeth,  "  you 
miserable  misshapen  botch  of  a  human  being,  you  viper, 
you  cowardly  scoundrel  and  cur,  get  out  of  my  reach, 
or,  by  God,  I  will  crush  you  into  pulp  and  grind  your 
bones  to  powder !  " 

The  creature  quailed  and  shrank  before  me  like  a 
craven.  My  hand  itched  for  his  throat,  the  blood  was 
surging  to  my  brain  and  in  an  instant  more  I  would 
have  brought  my  manacles  crashing  down  upon  his 
head.  But  with  a  cry  he  precipitately  slunk  beyond 
my  reach  and  out  of  the  door,  clanging  it  shut  behind 
him  with  all  the  force  of  one  panic-stricken  with  terror. 
I  laughed.  I  had  given  him  my  answer,  but  not  with 
titles  so  pleasing  to  his  ear  as  that  of  his  Highness  or 


THE  DWARF  HAS  THE  TRUTH        339 

his  gracious  Majesty.  I  sank  down  again  upon  the 
floor,  and  felt  reHeved  as  if  I  had  unburdened  myself 
of  a  load. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE   SURGEON    PROVES    HIMSELF   A    FRIEND   IN  NEED 

Hours  passed.  For  a  long  period  I  must  have  lain 
in  a  half-stupor.  I  had  no  control  over  my  thoughts. 
Ideas  and  fantasies  surged  in  endless  procession 
through  my  mind.  One  moment  Astrasa  was  crying 
bitterly  in  my  arms,  the  next  I  was  frantically  shovel- 
ing gold,  then  the  faces  of  the  dwarf  and  the  witches 
appeared  fiendishly  distorted.  The  doctor,  the  sea- 
surgeon,  and  men  whom  I  had  met  would  suddenly 
come  and  depart ;  I  would  now  be  addressing  the  Vo- 
runk  and  the  next  instant  I  was  gazing  at  the  monu- 
ment. It  was  all  a  jumble  unrestrained,  unending  and 
unrebuked. 

But  no  matter  what  might  be  in  the  foreground  of 
my  mind,  in  the  background  was  something  horrible 
which  I  was  ever  seeking  to  keep  there.  Every  now 
and  then  I  would  catch  a  glimpse  of  what  this  was, 
and  a  cold  perspiration  would  break  out  on  me  as  I 
strove  to  take  my  eyes  away  and  think  of  something 
else.  What  was  this  thing  that  filled  me  with  terror? 
I  gathered  up  my  courage  and  looked  at  it  boldly  — 

340 


SURGEON  A  FRIEND  IN  NEED        341 

it  was  the  monster  of  the  sea !  How  fearful  its  eyes ! 
How  they  kept  looking  steadily  at  me,  drawing  me 
nearer  and  nearer!  My  God!  could  anything  save 
me?  I  cried  out  and  rose  to  a  sitting  posture.  I 
rubbed  my  eyes,  stood  up  and  now,  thoroughly  awake, 
wondered  whether  I  had  been  dreaming  or  only 
thinking. 

The  dungeon  looked  as  it  did  when  I  first  entered  it. 
The  silence  was  as  absolute  as  ever.  The  light  came 
as  dimly  as  before  through  the  ventilator  above  the 
door.  How  long  had  I  been  there?  I  could  not  tell, 
but  it  seemed  ages.  I  lay  down  on  the  floor  once  more, 
determined  to  keep  the  mastery  over  my  mind.  I  be- 
gan to  speculate  deliberately  about  the  doctor  and  the 
surgeon.  I  wondered  how  long  they  stayed  at  the 
Hall  before  they  gave  up  my  coming.  What  did  they 
do  at  the  Hall,  and  how  did  the  doctor  feel  when  at  last 
he  learned  the  cause  of  my  absence?  Would  he  act 
discreetly  ?  How  fortunate  it  was  that  he  had  not  been 
with  me  when  I  went  to  the  prison  to  meet  Astrsea  —- 
as  it  was,  if  he  kept  silent  he  could  not  be  implicated 
in  my  acts.  What  a  kindly  man  he  was,  and  how  out 
of  harmony  with  his  race  and  country !  What  would 
he  do  about  the  monument  ? 

I  reviewed  the  whole  length  of  our  intercourse,  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would  light  the  fuse 


342  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

himself,  if  not  immediately,  then  later  on.  I  told  my- 
self that  he  could  not  resist  doing  it,  and  it  was  inter- 
esting to  speculate  as  to  the  time  he  would  select  for 
the  deed.  While  thinking  of  the  past  with  him  I  sud- 
denly remembered  the  pellet  he  had  given  me  one  day 
in  the  laboratory.  I  recalled  the  solemn  manner  in 
which  he  had  said  it  would  bring  instantaneous  death, 
and  how  he  urged  me  to  keep  it,  on  the  plea  that  some 
day  it  might  stand  me  in  good  stead.  Had  that  day 
now  come  ?  Despite  my  manacles,  I  managed  to  search 
the  small  pocket  in  which  I  had  placed  it,  and  there  I 
found  it  incrusted  in  lint  and  dirt.  I  rubbed  it  clean, 
and  holding  it  in  the  palm  of  my  hand  looked  at  it 
steadily  for  I  knew  not  how  long. 

Once  before  I  had  contemplated  suicide,  and  had 
actually  tried  to  die  —  and  would  have  died  had  it  not 
been  for  the  inscrutable  ways  of  Providence.  Should 
I  now  try  again?  I  remembered  that  when  I  pushed 
myself  to  the  brink  of  the  pier  it  was  in  a  spirit  of 
some  bravado.  I  had  been  supported  in  my  purpose 
by  a  fierce  hatred  of  the  world  as  it  existed,  and  it 
seemed  in  some  queer  way  that  I  was  performing  a 
noble  and  valorous  act  in  leaving  it.  But  since  then  I 
had  changed.  Though  measured  in  months  and  days 
the  time  had  not  been  long,  yet  measured  by  experience 
it  had  been  years  in  length.     My  youthful  ardor  had 


SURGEON  A  FRIEND  IN  NEED        343 

become  moderated  and  I  had  grown  more  philosophic, 
more  prone  to  weigh  the  whys  and  wherefores,  more 
cold  and  calculating.     Should  I  take  the  deadly  pellet? 

Was  there  any  possibility  that  I  might  yet  be  able 
to  circumvent  the  Democracy?  No,  none, —  I  was 
sure  of  it.  If  I  could  only  think  of  some  means  of  re- 
sistance that  would  make  my  death  costly  to  the  De- 
mocracy, it  might  be  well  to  see  the  play  out  to  the 
end.  But  seeing  none  should  I  permit  myself  to  be- 
come a  helpless  sacrifice  for  the  amusement  of  the  na- 
tion? Better  to  cheat  them  of  their  pleasure.  But 
there  was  Astrsea.  Might  I  not  be  able  to  console  and 
strengthen  her  in  the  last  hour  of  dread?  That  was 
a  serious  consideration,  and  yet  how  unlikely  it  was 
that  I  should  ever  be  able  to  speak  to  her  —  in  all  prob- 
ability I  should  never  see  her  again.  I  hesitated.  The 
pellet  lay  temptingly  in  my  hand. 

How  enraged  the  dwarf  would  be  when  —  I  started 
nervously.  Had  I  heard  a  noise  or  was  it  merely 
imagination?  I  strained  my  ears.  There  was  some- 
thing at  the  door!  I  heard  a  low,  scratching  sound, 
then  the  lock  turned,  and  the  door  began  to  open 
slowly.  Who  could  be  coming  so  stealthily  and  mys- 
teriously? My  nerves  were  tense,  and  I  waited  for  I 
knew  not  what.  At  last  a  figure  pressed  itself  into 
the  cell  and  I  saw  —  the  sea-surgeon !     My  heart  gave 


344  THE  SCARLET  E^IPIRE 

a  throb  of  joy  —  the  first  sensation  of  the  kind  that  I 
had  felt  for  hours. 

"  A  friend !  "  I  exclaimed  in  the  first  moments  of 
violent  mental  reaction. 

The  surgeon  shook  his  hand  frantically. 

"  Silence !  "  he  whispered. 

He  turned  and  closed  the  door  softly  behind  him. 
This  done  he  began  to  talk  rapidly. 

"  I  have  ventured  here,"  he  said,  "  unknown  to  any 
one.  I  could  not  help  it.  I  have  only  a  few  minutes 
to  stay  —  it  would  be  dangerous  for  me  to  tarry  longer. 
But  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  am  deeply  grieved  over 
this,  and  I  also  want  you  to  know  that  I  would  be  ex- 
tremely glad  could  I  do  something  for  you." 

I  realized  instantly  from  his  simple  speech  that  he 
had  risked  much  to  come  to  me,  and  I  felt  deep  grati- 
tude for  this  unexpected  demonstration  of  friendship. 

"  I'm  glad  you've  come !  "  I  said  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart.  "  I  value  this  act  of  yours  more  than  I 
can  tell  you." 

"  The  doctor  is  terribly  disconcerted  by  this,"  he 
continued,  disregarding  my  words.  "  From  remarks 
he  dropped  it  seems  that  you  and  he  have  some  mutual 
affairs  which  remain  unfinished.  I  do  not  know  what 
they  are,  but  could  I  serve  you  in  any  way?  Could  I 
take  a  message  to  him?  " 


SURGEON  A  FRIEND  IN  NEED        345 

"  I  know  of  nothing  you  can  do,  my  dear  surgeon. 
You  might  say  to  the  doctor  for  me,  though,  that  I  love 
him  and  that  I  shall  be  with  him  in  the  spirit." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  I  fear  it  is  —  but  tell  me,  has  my  fate  been  deter- 
mined, and  how  long  have  I  been  here,  do  you  know  ?  " 

The  surgeon  looked  at  me  sorrowfully  and  said : 

"  It  has  been  a  full  twenty- four  hours  since  your 
arrest.     Has  no  one  been  here  to  see  you  ?  " 

"  No  one  except  the  dwarf,"  I  replied  carelessly, 

"  Ah,  the  dwarf !     He  is  angered  at  your  deed." 

"  Well  he  might  be ! "  I  returned  with  a  grim  laugh. 

"  You  crossed  him  ?  Now  I  understand  the  energy 
of  his  hate." 

"What  has  he  done?" 

"  I  do  not  like  to  bear  ill  news." 

"  Come ! "  I  exclaimed  with  an  attempt  at  anima- 
tion. "  Do  not  take  my  situation  so  seriously.  I  care 
not,  why  should  you  ?  Do  you  think  I  could  continue 
to  live  as  I  have  —  acting  a  daily  lie?  I  hate  your 
Democracy,  its  atmosphere  is  stifling,  it  parches  my 
blood,  crushes  my  vitality,  offends  my  eyes  and  is  driv- 
ing me  mad." 

"  Hush,  hush !  "  he  cried,  interrupting  me  and  hold- 
ing his  hands  to  his  ears  as  though  to  keep  out  my 
words. 


346  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

But  I  continued,  putting  more  earnestness  in  my 
tone  as  I  proceeded. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  shock  you,"  I  said.  "  You  are  a 
good  man  among  rogues  and  devils.  Your  Demo- 
cracy might  be  all  right  were  men  all  angels  and  spe- 
cially created  to  live  under  such  a  system,  but  as  it  is 
—  well,  my  dear  surgeon,  as  it  is,  the  socialistic  state 
seems  a  hell  to  me,  and  if  death  is  the  only  avenue  of 
escape,  then  I  crave  death." 

My  visitor  regarded  me  fixedly,  his  countenance 
drawn  as  with  anguish. 

"  I  can  see  how  it  is,"  he  said  in  a  voice  tense  and 
low.  "  You  are  mad.  The  discovery  of  your  attach- 
ment for  the  girl,  your  arrest  and  your  hunger  have 
combined  to  unsettle  your  mind.  Poor  man !  I  hoped 
much  from  you,  and  it  has  come  to  this.  Better  by  far 
had  I  never  rescued  you." 

"  Think  me  mad  if  you  wish,"  I  replied  calmly  ;  "  but 
I  am  saner  now  than  ever  before.  You  were  going  to 
say  something,  however,  about  the  dwarf.  Tell  me. 
Whatever  it  is,  It  can  not  make  my  burden  heavier." 

He  made  several  ineffectual  attempts  to  speak,  and 
at  last  succeeded,  pouring  out  his  words  rapidly  as  if 
he  wished  to  have  it  over  as  quickly  as  possible. 

"  I  have  need  of  haste,"  he  began.  "  Let  me  say 
^hen  that  the  dwarf  in  a  most  bitter  and  vindictive 


SURGEON  A  FRIEND  IN  NEED       347 

speech  attacked  you  in  the  Vorunk  to-day,  declaring 
that  your  breaking  into  the  jail  and  meeting  with  the 
girl  was  the  worst  crime  in  all  the  history  of  the  De- 
mocracy and   called   for   condign   punishment   which 
should  be  immediate  and  exemplary.     By  his  sugges- 
tion a  bill  was  passed  denying  you  trial  by  judge  and 
ordering  your  public  execution  to  take  place  — " 
He  stopped,  unable  to  proceed. 
"  Out  with  it  —  when  ?  "  I  cried  a  little  sharply. 
"  May  the  gods  have  mercy  —  to-morrow !  "    As  he 
said  this  his  head  dropped  to  his  breast  and  he  hid  his 
face  in  his  hands. 

"  My  dear  man,"  I  said  consolingly,  "  do  not  take  it 
so  hard.  You  have  only  confirmed  my  own  expecta- 
tions. I  am  ready  —  do  you  understand?  —  ready 
and  waiting  for  them  to  do  their  worst.  But  how 
about  the  girl  —  the  atavar?  Do  you  know  I  have 
named  her  Astraea  ?  How  does  she  fare  at  their  mer- 
ciful hands?  " 

"Alas,  she,  too,  is  to  die  —  she  is  included  in  the 
bill.  She  will  be  given  to  the  monster  at  the  same 
time." 

"  May  God  damn  them  all !  "  I  cried,  the  bitterness 
welling  within  me  again. 

"A  public  holiday  has  been  proclaimed,"  he  con- 
tinued bitterly. 


348  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"So?"  I  said,  partly  regaining  my  composure. 
"  The  dwarf  carries  his  venom  far.  We  are  to  serve 
as  the  prime  attraction  —  for  the  multitude !  "  I  gave 
a  disdainful  laugh. 

The  surgeon  started  up  and  looked  anxiously  at  the 
door, 

"  I  must  be  hurrying,"  he  said.  "  Think  again 
now,  is  there  anything  I  might  do  for  you  ?  I  would  be 
thankful  could  I  perform  some  service,  however  small." 

He  was  so  earnest  in  his  desire  that  I  began  to 
think  how  I  might  impose  some  small  errand  on  him. 

"  Tell  me ! "  I  exclaimed,  "  was  there  no  other 
charge  made  against  me  except  that  of  secretly  meet- 
ing Astraea  ?  " 

"  None !  " 

"  And  no  suspicion  attaches  to  the  doctor  because  of 
my  offense?  " 

"  None  that  I  know  of.  The  doctor  is  suffering 
grievously,  although  he  hides  it  as  best  he  can.  But 
his  face  is  haggard  and  his  eyes  are  red,  and  that  is 
why  I  know." 

So  my  plans  for  escape  had  not  been  suspected !  If 
I  could  yet  reach  the  boat !  An  idea  possessed  me. 
Suppose  the  surgeon  could  bring  me  the  pistols ! 

"  Make  haste !  "  said  the  surgeon. 

"  Have  you  paper  and  pencil  ?  "  I  asked. 


SURGEON  A  FRIEND  IN  NEED        349 

He  ran  his  hand  down  into  his  tunic  and  pulled  out 
a  sheet  and  some  carbon. 

Meanwhile  my  idea  was  undergoing  development.  I 
studied  a  few  moments  and  then  as  rapidly  as  my 
shackles  would  permit  I  wrote  a  few  lines,  folded  the 
paper  and  returned  it  to  the  surgeon. 

"  Can  you  carry  this  note  to  the  doctor?"  I  asked 
excitedly. 

"I  will!  "he  replied. 

"  Can  you  bring  back  what  he  sends  me  ?  " 

"  I  will  do  my  best." 

"  My  dear  friend !  "  I  said,  scanning  him  anxiously 
in  the  face,  "  I  want  you  to  make  me  a  solemn  prom- 
ise, that  under  no  circumstances  will  you  permit  any 
one  other  than  the  doctor  to  read  this  note.  If  there 
is  any  danger  of  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  others 
destroy  it  without  hesitation." 

"  I  will  carry  out  your  desires  to  the  letter,"  he 
replied  in  a  voice  which  showed  he  was  deeply  moved. 

"  Good !  I  know  of  no  words  which  can  express 
my  gratitude." 

The  surgeon  took  my  hand  and  pressed  it  hard ;  then 
hastening  to  the  door  of  the  dungeon,  he  turned  and 
said  with  deep  emotion : 

"  We  may  never  meet  again.     Good-by !  " 

There  were  tears  in  his  eyes. 


350  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

The  door  was  closed,  the  lock  sprang-  in  its  place 
and  he  was  gone.  Again  the  silence  settled  over  all. 
But  how  different  it  seemed !  I  took  the  pellet  out 
of  my  pocket  where  I  had  placed  it  and  ground  it 
under  my  foot.  It  would  never  again  tempt  me,  and  I 
would  accept  my  fate  whatever  it  might  be,  like  a 
man.  Would  the  surgeon  be  able  to  deliver  the  note, 
and  would  the  doctor  do  as  I  had  instructed  him? 
The  next  few  hours  alone  could  tell. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

THE   DEATH    MARCH    BEGINS 

"  Come,  wake  up,  wake  up !  "  The  voice  sounded 
as  though  coming  from  a  distance.  A  sharp  blow 
across  the  bottom  of  my  feet  gave  me  a  shock  of  bodily 
pain.  I  rose  quickly  to  a  sitting  posture,  wide-awake. 
Before  me  was  a  man,  holding  a  basket  in  his  left 
hand,  while  his  right  grasped  an  iron  rod  or  club  fre- 
quently carried  by  prison  guards  and  attendants. 

"  I  have  brought  you  food,"  said  the  individual 
roughly.  "  Hold  up  your  hands  so  that  I  can  un- 
fasten your  wrists." 

My  hands  had  been  gyved  so  that  they  were  only 
eight  or  ten  inches  apart,  and  glad  I  was  to  have  them 
freed.  While  the  man  whom  I  took  to  be  a  guard  was 
performing  this  office  I  ventured  to  question  him  as  to 
the  time  of  day,  but  he  rebuffed  me  with  a  curt  reply 
that  he  could  tell  me  nothing.  He  departed,  locking 
the  door  and  leaving  the  basket  within  my  reach. 

I  was  famished  as  a  man  will  be  when  he  has  eaten 
nothing  for  many  hours,  and  I  attacked  the  food 
ravenously  with  scarcely  a  thought  of  my  execution, 

351 


352  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

which  might  be,  as  far  as  I  could  tell,  only  a  few 
hours  away.  I  meditated  grimly  that  the  State  fed 
its  victims  to  prevent  their  being  too  weak  to  walk. 
To  throw  creatures  to  the  beast  who  were  already  half- 
dead  from  starvation  would  certainly  be  to  make  the 
entertainment  needlessly  tame.  So  I  felt  no  gratitude 
to  the  functionaries  for  their  tardy  remembrance  of 
my  needs.  I  had  scarcely  taken  the  edge  off  my  ap- 
petite, however,  before  it  struck  me  that  the  basket  was 
remarkably  well  laden,  and  I  began  to  set  out  its 
contents  on  the  floor.  I  had  about  half  emptied  it 
when  my  hand  encountered  something  too  hard  to  be 
food.  It  felt  like  leather  to  the  touch,  and  in  a  tremor 
of  excitement  I  jerked  it  out.  It  was  the  pistol  belt! 
There  it  was,  revolvers,  cartridges  and  all !  My  joy 
was  unbounded. 

I  took  the  weapons  from  their  holsters,  examined 
them  critically,  took  out  their  loads,  aimed  at  imag- 
inary spots  on  the  walls  and  pulled  the  triggers. 
The  clicking  of  the  hammers  afforded  me  peculiar 
pleasure.  I  reloaded  them  carefully,  examined  all  the 
cartridges  in  the  belt  one  by  one,  and  at  last  strapped 
the  girdle  around  my  waist  beneath  the  tunic,  after 
which  I  tucked  my  garments  about  it  In  such  a  man- 
ner as  seemed  most  likely  to  allay  suspicions  respect- 
ing my  appearance.     I  felt  a  deep  gratitude  toward  the 


THE  DEATH  MARCH  BEGINS  353 

surgeon  and  the  doctor,  and  marveled  at  their  ingenu- 
ity. Thanks  to  them,  I  was  no  longer  a  helpless, 
despairing  and  unresisting  victim,  but  an  adversary, 
alert  and  dangerous.  I  finished  my  meal,  eating  all 
the  food  to  the  last  crumb,  and  sat  down  to  wait. 

Minutes  went  by,  merging  into  hours.  I  stared  at 
the  walls,  drummed  with  my  fingers,  performed  men- 
tal calculations  —  and  waited.  There  is  nothing  so 
trying  as  suspense.  To  be  for  hours  in  momentary 
expectation  of  some  event  fraught  with  peril,  and  to 
have  no  distraction  for  the  mind  is  torture.  How 
long  I  endured  the  agony  of  inaction  I  do  not  know, 
but  footsteps  approaching  in  the  corridor  finally  put 
an  end  to  what  seemed  endless. 

"  At  last !  "  I  muttered  in  relief. 

The  door  of  the  cell  opened,  and  this  time  it  was 
the  old  witch.  Ate,  who  stood  peering  into  the  darkness 
that  surrounded  me.  I  regarded  her  disdainfully,  and 
waited  for  her  to  speak.  Either  from  stiffness  in  her 
'joints  or  rheumatism  in  her  limbs  she  had  difficulty 
in  getting  through  the  door,  but  finally  she  stood  bend- 
ing over  her  stick  and  looking  on  me  with  her  bale- 
ful eyes. 

"  You  didn't  expect  to  receive  a  call  from  me,  now 
did  you  ?  "  she  began  with  a  simper. 

I  kept  silent. 


354  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

She   continued    unabashed    and   devoid   of   feeling: 

"  I  have  come  a  little  in  advance  of  the  others,  i 
wanted  to  have  a  little  talk  with  you  alone.  I  expect 
you  would  prefer  the  girl  to  me,  but  now  it's  my 
turn.  It  does  my  old  bones  so  much  good  to  see  you 
there,  ironed  to  the  floor.  Have  you  been  tearing 
3^our  hair?  But  no  matter,  you  will  do  so  soon  enough. 
We  shall  see  you  quail  and  cringe  before  the  day  is 
over." 

She  paused  and  I  still  held  my  peace. 

*'  You  don't  seem  very  sociable  this  morning,"  she 
kept  on,  growing  a  little  shriller  in  her  tone.  "  But 
this  is  one  of  those  occasions  in  which  I  can  overlook 
bad  manners.  I  must  say  that  I  am  proud  of  you,  be- 
cause you  didn't  disappoint  me.  It  would  have  been 
a  bitter  moment  with  me  had  you  married  Ugla.  I 
have  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  with  foolish  swains 
and  lassies,  and  I  have  never  yet  had  my  expectations 
go  wrong.  It  is  my  whim  to  pander  to  their  love-sick 
madness,  and  when  the  disease  takes  fast  hold  on 
them  I  extract  pleasure  from  the  dull  routine  of  life 
in  handing  them  over  to  the  law." 

She  paused,  expecting  me  to  make  answer.  She 
then  proceeded : 

"  I  saw  from  the  start  you  fancied  her.  You  ought 
to  have  worn  a  mask,  for  you  do  your  thinking  with 


THE  DEATH  MARCH  BEGINS         355 

your  face.  You  did  not  accept  my  invitation  to  come 
to  see  me  as  you  should  have  done,  but  then  you  made 
up  for  your  unkindly  treatment  in  the  end,  and  I  can 
not  say  I  have  any  fault  to  find  with  the  way  you  did 
it.  The  dwarf  and  Ugla  laughed  at  me  for  a  jealous 
fool  when  I  told  them  long  ago  the  truth,  but  now  I 
am  vindicated."  She  wagged  her  head  from  side  to 
side,  chuckling. 

"  You  came  down  here  to  goad  me,"  I  now  put  in, 
"  but  you  waste  your  feeble  breath.  I  care  no  more 
for  you  than  I  do  for  a  snake.  You  are  an  ugly  carcass 
of  skin  and  bones  with  venom  in  your  withered  veins 
instead  of  blood,  but  I  am  beyond  your  sting,  I  quick- 
ly saw  you  were  an  atavar,  and  that  if  you  had  your 
just  deserts  you  would  yourself  soon  fill  the  monster's 
maw,  though  I  have  no  doubt  the  beast  would  spit  you 
out,  seeing  that  you  are  so  bitter." 

"  You  would  berate  me  with  your  tongue,  would 
you?"  she  rejoined  in  her  highest  treble.  "There  is 
no  love  lost,  I  assure  you.  I  am  an  atavar,  I  own 
that  to  you,  who  are  so  soon  to  die.  Die!  Did  you 
hear  me  say  it?  I  came  to  tell  you  so.  You  are  to  be 
fed  to  the  kraken,  and  that  within  the  next  few  hours ! 
The  people  are  already  gathering  and  there's  to  be  a 
grand  holiday  with  you  as  the  chief  actor,  though 
manv  would  say  that  she  is  the  chief  actor, —  for  she. 


356  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

too,  is  to  die.  You  know  whom  I  mean.  I  wish  it 
were  not  so  dark  —  I  would  Hke  to  see  the  pallor  on 
your  cheeks.  What  would  life  be  in  Atlantis,  were  it 
not  for  the  pretty  and  the  sentimental  that  hate  us  and 
our  laws  and  keep  us  busy  cramming  them  down  the 
mouth  of  the  monster?  Are  you  trembling?  does  not 
the  horror  of  where  you  will  sleep  to-night  paralyze 
your  tongue  and  cause  your  eyeballs  to  bulge?  Oh, 
I  wish  my  old  eyes  could  see  as  once  they  could !  But 
you  are  silent  and  this  bespeaks  the  wretch  abject  with 
terror  and  I  am  satisfied." 

I  laughed  loud  and  long. 

The  witch  stood  as  though  amazed.  Her  head  be- 
gan to  wag  and  her  hands  to  wabble.  Then,  mutter- 
ing words  that  seemed  like  imprecations,  she  hobbled 
out  of  the  dungeon. 

Almost  immediately  there  entered  a  creature  dressed 
entirely  in  black  and  wearing  a  cowl  that  hid  the 
features.  His  robe  was  long  like  that  of  a  monk  and 
was  girdled  at  the  waist.  He  carried  in  one  arm  a 
white  bundle  and  in  the  other  was  an  iron  club.  He 
addressed  me  in  a  deep  and  solemn  voice,  saying: 

"  No.  489  A  D  G,  you  have  been  condemned  to 
death,  and  now  is  the  hour  of  your  execution.  I  will 
unfetter  you,  but  before  I  do  so  I  will  ask  you  if  you 
mean  to  go  peaceably  or  rebelliously  ?  " 


THE  DEATH  MARCH  BEGINS  357 

"  I  will  go  peaceably,"  I  said. 

"  It  is  well,"  he  continued.  "  But  understand  there 
is  absolutely  no  hope  for  your  escape.  You  will  be 
placed  in  the  center  of  a  guard  of  forty  men,  all  armed 
with  these  weapons  " —  he  brandished  his  club  before 
me  — "  and  if  you  make  one  false  step  you  will  be 
beaten  until  you  submit." 

With  that  he  laid  down  his  bundle  and  unfastened 
the  irons  that  bound  me.  Then  he  handed  me  the 
bundle  and  said: 

"  Here  is  the  garb  you  are  to  wear.  Stand  there  in 
the  corner,  remove  your  tunic  and  put  it  on." 

A  qualm  of  dread  went  through  me.  I  had  not 
counted  on  changing  my  garment.  But  knowing  that 
hesitation  might  be  fatal  I  instantly  took  the  bundle 
and  unwrapped  it.  It  was  the  white  robe  worn  by  the 
victims.  I  went  over  into  the  darkest  corner,  and  as 
I  pulled  my  right  arm  out  of  my  tunic  I  inserted  it  into 
the  right  arm  of  the  robe,  and  so  manoeuvred  that, 
thanks  to  the  darkness  and  the  man's  inattention,  I 
was  new-garbed  without  disclosing  the  pistol-belt  about 
my  waist.  There  was  a  girdle  to  the  robe  and  when  I 
had  drawn  and  fastened  it  I  was  pleased  to  note  that 
I  had  no  longer  need  to  fear  detection  of  my  hidden 
weapons. 

"  Are  you  ready  ?  "  asked  the  man  in  black. 


358  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

*  I     am     ready,"     I     replied     in     a     calm     voice. 

He  looked  me  over  and  said : 

"  Follow  me !  " 

When  we  stepped  from  the  dungeon  I  saw  the  cor- 
ridor filled  with  creatures  in  black.  Among  them  was 
the  witch  surrounded  by  a  retinue  of  ill-favored  hags 
like  herself,  though  in  truth  none  seemed  to  come  quite 
up  to  her  despicable  standard.  My  appearance  seemed 
to  be  a  signal,  for  immediately  they  drew  on  their 
cowls  and  began  the  horrid  chant  with  which  I 
was  already  familiar,  though  there  in  the  corridor  its 
unearthly  hideousness  was  magnified  a  hundred- 
fold. 

I  was  quickly  surrounded  by  a  number  of  guards, 
dressed  in  black  like  the  rest.  The  death  march  had 
begun. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE    DOCTOR    DOES    NOT    FAIL    ME 

I  will  hasten  over  the  details  of  the  dreadful  journey 
to  the  amphitheater.  When  we  emerged  from  the 
prison  into  the  lighted  thoroughfare  the  escort  was 
reinforced  by  several  hundred  black  cowls  who  set  up 
a  screeching  wail  at  my  approach,  stretching  their 
right  arms  toward  me  with  their  forefingers  extended 
as  though  in  derision.  It  was  here  that  the  dwarf 
placed  himself  on  my  right  and  assumed  command. 
He  bowed  superciliously  and  in  return  I  gave  him  a 
look  of  contempt.  The  witch  Ate  came  close  up  and 
snapped  her  fingers  in  my  face,  but  I  laughed  at  her 
for  her  pains.  Then  I  heard  some  one  fairly  hiss 
words  of  derision  and  hate  in  my  ear.  I  looked  about 
me  and  saw  Ugla,  my  State-affianced  bride,  whom  I 
had  scorned.  Her  face  showed  all  the  malice  her 
wounded  heart  could  summon  and  she  tried  to  assail 
me  with  her  long  bony  talons,  but  the  guards  pushed 
her  back. 

I  walked  boldly,  pressing  my  arm  against  the  pistols 
at  my  side,  and  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  left, 

359 


36o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

but  with  my  senses  all  acute.  For  several  miles  we 
swept  along,  keeping  step  to  the  monotonous  droning  of 
the  witches,  until  we  reached  an  open  plain  which 
proved  to  be  the  rendezvous  for  the  gathering  horde. 
Here  awaiting  us  were  the  regiments  of  inspectors  and 
heads  of  departments,  my  colleagues  of  the  august 
Vorunk,  the  tom-tom  beaters,  the  grotesque  dancers 
and  more  detachments  of  black  cowls,  all  of  whom 
greeted  me  with  vociferous  hoots  and  insulting  grim- 
aces. There  was  one  figure  which  commanded  my  at- 
tention more  than  any  of  the  rest.  It  was  that  of  a 
cadaverous  creature  with  sunken  cheeks  and  deep-set 
eyes  who,  with  the  aid  of  paint,  looked  like  a  living 
skeleton.  This  figure  was  brought  up  and  introduced 
to  me  as  Death,  with  whom  I  should  speedily  be  better 
acquainted. 

While  being  made  the  recipient  of  these  fantastic  at- 
tentions there  appeared  in  the  distance,  beneath  the 
distant  lights,  another  black-hooded  column  which 
soon  drew  the  eyes  of  the  entire  host.  As  it  came 
closer  I  saw  in  its  midst  a  white-robed  figure,  and  I 
knew  immediately  it  was  Astraea.  My  gaze  remained 
fixed  on  her,  and  I  saw  that  her  face  was  turned  in 
my  direction.  Nearer  and  nearer  she  came,  until  at 
last  we  stood  only  a  few  yards  apart,  separated  by  the 
guards  that  surrounded  us.     How  beautiful  she  was! 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME    361 

How  placid,  how  calm,  how  unmindful  of  the  deafen- 
ing din  and  the  insolent  indignities  of  the  mob!  Had 
she  conquered  the  dread  of  death,  or  did  her  woman's 
pride  sustain  her  in  this  fearful  hour?  Perhaps  it  was 
the  remembrance  of  Alene  that  made  her  brave ;  per- 
haps she  wished  to  save  me  the  pain  of  seeing  that 
she  suffered.  But  whether  these  conjectures  were 
right  or  wrong,  certain  it  was  that  her  eyes  conveyed 
one  message  and  only  one,  and  that  was  the  message  of 
love,  love  that  rises  transcendent  above  all  earthly 
things  and  stands  forth  in  full  radiance  in  the  shadow 
of  death.  How  I  wished  then  that  I  might  whisper  a 
word  to  her,  telling  her  there  was  yet  hope  of  life ! 
But  this  could  not  be.  I  gave  her  a  reassuring  look,  to 
which  she  smiled  sweetly  and  yet  I  thought  wonder- 
ingly  in  return. 

The  dwarf  now  called  out  in  sharp  command,  the 
tom-toms  beat  and  the  procession  resumed  its  march. 
Those  surrounding  Astrasa  moved  first  while  my  body- 
guard followed  a  short  distance  in  her  rear.  From 
my  position  in  the  line  I  could  see  her  constantly,  and 
a  picture  remains  vividly  in  my  mind  of  a  white  figure 
with  head  well-poised,  walking  serenely  amid  a  swirl 
of  swaying  and  screaming  ghouls  in  black.  It  is  a 
picture  of  an  angelic  spirit  being  swept  along  by  a 
brood  of  demons  in  the  realms  of  darkness. 


362  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

We  reached  the  neighborhood  of  the  amphitheater. 
The  highways  were  packed  with  people  seeking  to  get 
a  ghmpse  of  the  victims  and  raising  up  their  voices  in 
mad  jeers  as  we  passed.  Every  minute  the  pande- 
monium seemed  to  increase.  Now  we  turned  beneath 
the  great  arch,  and  then  out  into  the  vast  arena.  The 
insane  frenzy  of  the  thousands  that  banked  the  amphi- 
theater as  with  a  sea  of  faces  filled  me  with  a  sudden 
panic,  so  that  for  some  moments  I  lost  the  power  of 
thought.  But  a  few  blows  of  a  club  across  my 
shoulders  brought  back  my  scattering  senses  and  I 
set  my  teeth  and  gripped  my  pistols  with  my  arms. 
I  glanced  at  Astrsea  who  was  some  paces  ahead  and 
I  saw  her  sway  and  reel  in  a  jostling  mass  of  the 
taunting  harpies.  To  get  to  her  side  would  be  im- 
possible, but  a  few  quick  steps  put  me  close  enough  for 
her  to  hear  and  I  cried  out : 

"  Courage,  Astraea !     Courage !  " 

My  guards  jerked  me  back  and  struck  me  fiercely 
with  their  weapons. 

We  now  marched  about  the  arena,  and  while  the 
frightful  din  continued  I  swept  my  eyes  over  the  fran- 
tic multitude.  I  saw  that  the  lower  portions  of  the 
amphitheater,  those  directly  in  my  line  of  vision,  were 
choked  with  scarlet  masses  of  humanity  that  seem.ed 
in   a  constant  and   violent   state  of   upheaval.    The 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME    363 

cause  was  self-apparent  —  it  was  merely  a  struggle  for 
the  best  points  of  view.  There  they  were,  those 
citizens  of  the  most  advanced  form  of  government  in 
or  on  earth,  fighting  for  the  best  positions  for  gratify- 
ing their  lust  for  cruelty.  The  bull  fight  of  the  medi- 
eval Spaniard,  the  slaughter  of  the  Christians  in  the 
Colosseum  of  decadent  Rome,  the  pow-pow  of  the 
savage  tribe  around  the  victim  burning  at  the  stake, 
were  but  faint  reflections  of  the  beastly  passions  of 
men  compared  to  the  feeding  of  the  atavars  to  the 
monster  in  the  amphitheater  of  Atlantis.  The  faces 
that  I  gazed  on  were  those  of  the  brute,  bereft  of 
every  lineament  of  human  reason  and  compassion. 
Civilization  had  been  swept  away  and  only  the  howling 
ape  remained. 

The  procession  continued  on  its  round  and  now  we 
faced  the  great  wall  with  its  depths  of  still  green 
water  stretching  back  into  the  mystery  of  the  sea.  As 
we  came  closer  and  closer  I  could  mark  the  schools  of 
fish  swimming  before  the  arena  and  looked  with  won- 
der on  the  phosphorescent  species  that  like  torch-bear- 
ers illume  the  deep.  The  monster  had  not  yet  appeared 
but  I  had  nerved  myself  against  its  coming,  and  when 
at  last  its  frightful  bulk  was  hurled  like  a  gigantic 
catapult  against  the  wall  I  looked  on  stolidly,  while 
maddened  frenzy  reigned  about.     I  saw  at  close  range 


364  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

its  mighty  mouth,  its  huge  saucer-shaped  eyes  and  its 
monstrous  tentacles  that  looked  like  hairy  serpents  of 
enormous  girth.  I  quickly  withdrew  my  eyes,  and 
looked  steadily  at  Astraea.  She  continued  to  walk 
bravely  erect,  and  I  breathed  a  prayer  of  deep  grati- 
tude. 

But  now  the  time  had  come  when  we  must  mount 
the  niche  against  the  very  body  of  the  beast.  How 
would  she  stand  this  terror-inspiring  ordeal?  I  had 
not  long  to  wonder.  As  fortune  had  it  they  chose  me 
as  the  first  to  be  presented  to  the  monster.  I  was  sud- 
denly seized  by  the  arms  and  hurried  forward  to 
the  wall.  Around  me  gathered  a  semicircle  of  the 
cowled  figures.  Silence  fell  on  the  multitude.  Then 
the  dwarf  made  an  obeisance  to  the  monster  and, 
pointing  to  me,  uttered  an  incantation  in  a  strange 
tongue.  My  arms  folded,  I  looked  at  him  steadily. 
As  soon  as  he  ended  his  adjuration  the  cracked- 
voiced  choristers  once  more  set  up  their  screech- 
ing, and  I  was  again  grasped  by  the  arms  and  fairly 
thrown  upon  the  narrow  cleft  in  the  wall,  where  before 
all  the  multitude  I  stood  within  apparently  a  few  inches 
of  the  cavernous  mouth  of  the  kraken.  I  stood  erect, 
and  without  once  looking  at  tlic  monster  I  had  the 
temerity  to  wave  my  hand  at  the  amphitheater  and  then 
at  the  beast.     In  some  way  I  seemed  to  spoil  the  scene. 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME   365 

to  make  ludicrous  what  was  designed  as  a  choice 
feature  of  the  program.  I  was  jerked  down  amid 
derisive  jeers.  Then  came  Astraea's  turn.  I  looked 
at  her  for  one  moment  with  a  smile,  and  she  went 
through  the  performance  coolly  and  bravely. 

When  we  resumed  our  march  I  saw  the  dwarf  was 
regarding  me  with  intense  hatred.  Things  were  evi- 
dently not  going  the  way  he  had  planned.  Meanwhile, 
I  had  to  struggle  to  keep  myself  calm,  for  now  the 
critical  moment  was  near  at  hand  when  I  should  know 
whether  the  doctor  had  followed  my  instructions,  those 
instructions  I  had  written  him  in  the  note  carried  by 
the  surgeon.  "  He  can  not  fail !  He  can  not  fail !  "  I 
kept  muttering  to  myself,  and  yet  the  thought  would 
steal  into  my  mind  now  and  then  that  possibly  some 
hitch  might  occur  —  some  fatal  hitch  —  and  then? 
My  plans  were  all  thought  out  contingent  on  his 
success,  I  struck  my  pistols  with  my  elbows  —  if 
events  fell  foul  of  my  design  I  would  at  least  make 
every  cartridge  count.  I  knew  I  had  one  great  ad- 
vantage—  the  lost  knowledge  of  firearms  among  the 
Atlantides.  If  I  should  shoot  the  dvv^arf  it  would  prob- 
ably be  like  an  earthquake  to  the  minds  of  the  mob. 

So  preoccupied  was  I  that  we  reached  the  high- 
way cresting  the  embankment  before  I  realized  it. 
From  the  commanding  height  v/e  had  now  attained 


366  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

I  cast  one  searching  look  toward  the  horizon  where 
stood  the  monument.  I  saw  it  shining  in  majestic 
splendor,  and  a  vast  expanse  of  empty  land,  save  for 
the  pillars  of  the  dome,  stretched  as  far  as  eye  could 
reach.  But  what  I  anxiously  scanned  the  distance  for 
I  could  not  find. 

Now  the  column  wheeled  and  all  heads  were  turned 
toward  the  green  wall,  the  final  destination  of  the 
marching  throng.  I  dared  not  turn  about  to  look 
again.  On  and  on  we  went.  The  bellowing  of  the 
human  pit  ascended  from  our  left,  the  tom-toms  beat 
and  the  weird  chant  rent  the  air.  As  we  approached 
the  end  of  the  highway  it  seemed  as  if  we  were  about 
to  march  into  the  sea  which  stretched  in  one  mighty 
sheet  far  down  on  our  left  and  right  and  high  up  to- 
ward the  dome.  I  now  saw  the  ledge  in  the  transpar- 
ent rock  extending  like  a  faint  line  out  over  the  arena 
and  along  which  three  persons  could  walk  abreast,  the 
victim  in  the  middle  and  a  guard  on  either  side.  I 
asked  myself,  as  I  viewed  the  fatal  road,  whether 
Astrsea  and  I  would  ever  walk  it,  and  I  vowed  in  my 
heart  we  never  would !  Here  at  the  end  of  the  high- 
way, hard  by  the  wall,  I  would  take  my  stand,  and  if 
my  plans  went  awry  then  here  would  we  die  and  not 
yonder  in  the  deep. 

At  last  we  halted,  and  without  arousing  suspicion  T 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME   367 

could  again  search  the  horizon.  My  eyes  swept  care- 
fully over  all  the  distance  between  the  monument  and 
the  amphitheater,  but,  strain  them  as  I  might,  I  could 
not  see  that  for  which  I  looked.  My  heart  began  to 
sink.  In  a  few  minutes,  at  the  most,  I  must  begin  to 
act  if  act  I  would.  Although  I  kept  my  eyes  fixed  on 
the  distance  I  felt  that  the  transparent  hoods  were 
being  made  ready,  and  that  at  any  instant  they  would 
be  clapping  them  on  our  heads.  "  Courage !  courage !  " 
I  kept  muttering  to  myself.  I  continued  to  risk  the 
last  few  moments  of  possible  freedom  of  my  arms. 
At  last,  just  as  I  was  about  to  withdraw  my  gaze  from 
the  monument,  I  saw  between  an  avenue  of  columns 
a  speck  of  light.  I  riveted  my  eyes  on  it.  It  was 
growing  larger  —  it  was  moving !  It  was  coming 
toward  the  amphitheater !  Hope  rose  like  a  tide  in  my 
heart.  Now  my  rigid  gaze  made  certain  that  the  speck 
was  whirling  in  a  circle  —  Praise  be  to  God,  it  was  the 
signal !    The  doctor  had  not  failed  me. 

I  turned  triumphant  to  face  the  devilish  vultures 
near  at  hand,  and  none  too  soon.  Two  creatures  were 
in  the  very  act  of  placing  a  hood  on  Astrsea.  I  gave 
one  sweeping  glance  about  me,  saw  that  all  eyes  were 
on  the  girl,  and  with  one  bound  I  gained  the  wall, 
placing  it  at  my  back.  At  the  same  time  I  drew  my 
pistols.     A  quick  aim  and  an  explosion,  and  one  of  the 


368  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

wretches  fell  headlong  to  the  ground,  carrying  with 
him  the  transparent  hood. 

It  was  all  done  so  quickly  that  not  a  hand  was 
lifted  to  deter  me.  In  an  instant  I  had  turned  the 
tables.  From  being  a  passive  victim  I  had  suddenly 
terminated  the  ceremonies  at  their  most  important 
point.  But  this  was  not  a  case  of  merely  a  youth  out- 
raging the  majesty  of  the  State  —  it  was  the  case  of 
a  desperate  man  fighting  for  his  life  and  for  the  life 
of  one  he  loved.  Not  in  long  centuries  had  Atlantis 
had  such  an  emergency  to  meet,  and  though  the  official 
program  had  been  abruptly  abandoned  there  would, 
very  likely,  be  entertainment  enough  for  the  myriads 
before  the  day  was  done. 

The  effects  of  the  first  shot  were  overwhelming. 
Amazement  clutched  each  creature  by  the  throat  and 
held  him  rooted  to  the  spot  where  he  stood.  Hushed 
as  by  enchantment  were  the  tom-toms  and  the  singing. 
The  dwarf  gazed  at  me  awe-stricken.  Quick  as 
thought  I  ran  forward,  seized  Astraea  by  the  hand, 
pulled  her  back  with  me  to  the  wall,  and  placed  between 
us  and  the  nearest  wretch  fifty  good  feet  of  open 
space. 

Brandishing  my  weapons  above  my  head  I  cried 
in  a  loud  voice :  "  Run,  you  devils,  or  I'll  kill  you 
all!'^ 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME   369 

The  creatures  still  stood  like  wooden  posts,  gaping 
blankly  at  me. 

"  Run  for  your  lives !  "  I  cried  again. 

At  this  the  dwarf  on  whom  I  had  kept  an  eye  made 
a  movement  as  if  to  dash  upon  me.  I  hesitated  not 
an  instant,  and  the  uncrowned  master  of  them  all  sank 
groaning  to  the  ground.  Panic  now  seized  on  the 
rest,  and  the  mob  turned  upon  its  heels  and  like  scared 
dogs  ran  madly  down  the  highway.  But  some  re- 
mained looking  at  their  chief.  A  score  or  more  they 
numbered,  and  I  saw  I  would  have  to  give  them  bat- 
tle. They  surrounded  the  dwarf,  and  lifted  him  to  his 
feet.  I  had  not  killed  him,  but  his  left  arm  hung  limp. 
He  stood  for  a  moment  holding  his  injured  member 
with  his  right  hand,  and  then  began  to  speak  rapidly 
to  the  remnant  of  his  followers  that  stood  about.  The 
effect  on  them  was  plainly  apparent.  Should  I  begin 
to  shoot  them  down?  It  seemed  unwise,  for  it  might 
precipitate  the  entire  number  of  these  braver  spirits 
upon  me. 

I  glanced  in  the  direction  of  the  monument  and  saw 
a  man  —  no  doubt  the  doctor  —  running  toward  the 
amphitheater,  while  in  one  hand  he  madly  waved  a 
lantern.  Then  I  glanced  at  Astraea  by  my  side  and 
saw  that  she  was  standing  with  her  hands  clasped,  re- 
garding me  with  a  look  that,  whatever  of  hope  and 


370  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

confidence  and  wonder  it  expressed,  showed  abso- 
lutely no  fear.  From  the  amphitheater  came  a  mighty 
roar. 

"  Whatever  happens,"  I  said  quickly  to  her,  "  be  not 
afraid." 

The  men  in  front  seemed  about  to  execute  some 
move,  and  I  resolved  to  temporize.  Time  was  the 
stake  I  played  for. 

"  I  have  drawn  a  dead  line  fifty  feet  from  where  I 
stand,"  I  shouted,  '''  and  any  man  that  crosses  it  shall 
die." 

The  dwarf  was  standing  to  the  rear  of  his  men  but 
I  could  see  that  he  quickly  measured  the  distance  be- 
tween us  with  his  eye  and  looked  malignantly  at  me. 
His  followers  stretched  themselves  out  in  a  long  line, 
and  suddenly  a  number  of  them  sent  their  clubs 
hurling  through  the  air.  The  weapons  fell  short  of 
their  mark.  I  held  my  pistols  ready  for  action.  A 
man  now  dashed  forward  with  his  club  held  poised 
to  throw.  I  fired  and  he  bit  the  ground.  The  rest, 
as  if  stunned  by  some  sudden  mystery,  stood  stock-still, 
looking  at  their  fallen  comrade.  The  dwarf,  however, 
with  wild  gesticulations  and  loud  commands  ran  back 
and  forth  rallying  them,  and  now,  confirming  my 
fears,  they  were  massing  themselves  preparatory  for  a 
desperate    charge.     I   glanced    anxiously   toward  the 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME    371 

monument.  It  still  shone  resplendent  in  the  distance. 
Would  it  never  happen?     I  must  still  bid  for  time. 

"  Let  us  parley,"  I  called  out. 

The  dwarf  showed  his  misshapen  figure  between  two 
of  the  men. 

"  Hand  over  your  weapons,"  he  cried,  "  or  you'll  get 
no  quarter !  " 

"  A  one-sided  parley,"  I  rejoined.  "  Let  the  girl  and 
me  go  our  way  without  interference  and  no  more  lives 
will  be  lost." 

"  Think  you  the  State  can  acknowledge  itself  beaten 
by  such  as  you?  "  he  sneered  in  return. 

My  God!     Would  it  never  happen! 

"  If  that  is  your  final  answer,  listen !  "  I  cried  at  the 
top  of  my  voice.  "  The  moment  you  rush  upon  us,  I 
shall  cause  an  earthquake  to  shatter  yonder  monument 
into  a  million  fragments  and  shake  Atlantis  to  its 
foundations.     I  have  spoken !     Beware !  " 

The  dwarf  looked  at  the  monument  and  then  at  me. 
For  a  moment  he  seemed  to  give  my  words  serious 
thought.  Then  breaking  into  a  contemptuous  laugh  he 
gave  the  order : 

"Rush  upon  him!" 

I  thought  the  end  had  come.  I  could  not  disable 
more  than  half  a  dozen  of  the  scoundrels  before  the 
weapons   would   be   snatched    from   my  grasp.     But 


372  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  command  was  not  quickly  obeyed.     The  men  hes- 
itated, and  in  that  moment  of  hesitation  I  was  saved. 

"  Look !  "  I  cried  with  arm  outstretched  toward  the 
monument.     I  fired  my  pistol  into  the  air. 

"  Look !  "  I  repeated,  still  pointing. 

Even  as  I  spoke  there  came  a  great  flash  of  light. 
[A.  volcanic  eruption  had  belched  forth  where  stood  the 
monument.  The  pillar  of  brilliancy  tottered  and  fell, 
swallowed  up  in  an  immense  cloud  of  smoke  that 
enveloped  in  inky  darkness  the  entire  horizon.  All 
this  in  but  a  moment  of  time.  Then  came  the  report 
of  the  explosion,  so  terrible  in  its  intensity  that  it  threw 
Astrasa  and  myself  to  the  ground.  The  earth  shook 
and  the  wall  swayed  where  we  lay.  The  first  thun- 
derous shock  was  but  the  prelude  to  a  continuous 
cannonading  of  frightful  sounds.  There  was  not  one 
but  a  whole  series  of  explosions.  Was  the  entire  uni- 
verse going  to  fearful  wrack?  I  jumped  to  my  feet 
in  blank  dismay.  I  saw  to  the  left  a  great  section  of 
rock  from  off  the  sea  wall  go  crashing  down,  and  now 
an  avalanche  of  material  from  the  empyrean  fell  in 
an  awful  thud  upon  the  arena.  Was  this  the  end? 
Would  the  sea  come  bursting  through  some  new-made 
vent  in  the  protecting  cliff?  Was  I  gazing  on 
dreadful  devastation  and  death  ?  Had  an  entire  nation 
been  sent  to  its  doom?    But  already  the  recurrent 


THE  DOCTOR  DOES  NOT  FAIL  ME    373 

waves  of  sound  had  moderated,  the  great  wall  stood 
firm,  the  sea  did  not  enter.  The  explosive  reports 
subsided  and  died  away  in  rumbling  reverberations  in 
the  distance.  I  now  understood.  There  had  been 
only  one  explosion,  but  its  echo  had  resounded  back 
and  forth  within  the  confines  of  the  dome  and  sides  of 
the  mighty  cavern. 

I  turned  to  Astrsea.  I  stroked  her  hands  smartly 
and  shouted  in  her  ears.  It  took  but  a  moment  to 
bring  her  back  to  consciousness,  thank  God !  and  then 
with  her  hand  in  mine  we  ran  down  the  highway. 

"  Our  chance  of  liberty ! "  I  kept  shouting  to  her. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT 

We  sprang  over  the  bodies  of  our  enemies  lying 
prostrate  on  the  ground,  and  raced  on.  The  immense 
pit  of  humanity  was  strangely  silent.  The  lights  in 
the  dome  had  been  blotted  out  by  the  smoke  while 
those  on  the  distant  columns  were  dim  and  red.  But 
the  illumination  of  the  amphitheater  and  of  the  high- 
way continued  to  shine  in  all  its  cold  brilliancy.  On 
and  on  we  went.  We  reached  the  foot  of  the  embank- 
ment. The  ground  was  thickly  covered  with  bodies, 
but  here  and  there  a  few  creatures  were  standing 
either  dazed  or  bewildered.  I  knew  there  was  no  time 
to  lose.  Soon  the  whole  mob  might  rise  up  and  rend 
«s  limb  from  limb.  I  stopped  and  looked  hurriedly 
about.  Where  was  the  doctor?  It  was  here  I  should 
have  met  him.  I  now  saw  some  fifty  yards  away  a 
small  knot  of  people  and  among  them  some  one  was 
shouting  earnestly.  I  rushed  toward  the  spot,  taking 
Astraea  with  me.  It  was  he.  As  I  came  up  he  was 
holding  a  lantern  in  one  hand  while  with  the  other  he 

374 


FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT  375 

was  making  fierce  gestures  as  he  poured  forth  a  torrent 
of  words: 

"  The  revolution  is  at  hand !  Strike,  slaves,  for  your 
lost  liberties !  It  is  the  hour  to  overthrow  the  Demo- 
cracy. Heaven  has  smitten  the  monument,  and  At- 
lantis has  been  convulsed !  Tyranny  is  dead !  Awake ! 
Rise  up  and  shake  off  your  chains !  Down  with  despot- 
ism and  drudgery  and  starvation!  Up  with  freedom, 
reason  and  hope !  Are  you  dumb  beasts  ?  If  not,  then 
listen!" 

For  an  instant  I  regarded  the  men  about  him.  Most 
of  them  stood  as  if  their  senses  had  departed,  but  a 
few  werv?  hostile  in  their  attitude.  I  dropped  Astraea's 
hand  for  a  moment  and  grasped  the  orator  by  the 
arm. 

"Come!"  I  shouted. 

Just  then  a  man  struck  the  doctor  in  the  face  with 
his  fist.  I  whirled  upon  the  dog  and  shot  him  in  his 
tracks.  There  was  no  time  now  for  hesitation.  It 
was  life  or  death  for  the  three  of  us,  and  again  grasp- 
ing Astraea  by  the  hand  we  fairly  flew.  Directly  be- 
hind came  the  doctor,  crying  out  his  presence, 
while  at  his  heels  were  half  a  dozen  creatures,  who, 
seeing  us  in  flight,  had  taken  the  courage  to  pursue. 
Rising  shouts  in  the  rear  told  me  the  populace  was 
waking  from  its  trance.    I  was  not  running  at  random, 


Zy6  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

however.  Thanks  to  my  previous  visit  to  the  amphi- 
theater I  knew  where  stood  the  cars  that  went  to  the 
Hall  of  Curiosities.  It  was  for  them  that  I  now 
headed. 

Between  long  trains  standing  upon  the  terminal 
tracks  we  sprinted  at  top  speed.  Astrasa,  brave  girl, 
seemed  all  agility  and  swiftness.  The  noise  in  our 
rear  was  increasing.  The  doctor  was  crj'ing  out  to 
hurry  faster.  At  last  the  end  of  the  long  line  of  cars 
was  reached.  I  jumped  aboard  the  last  one,  pulling 
Astraea  after  me.  The  doctor  sprang  to  my  side,  and 
we  threw  the  astonished  motorman  from  the  car.  The 
doctor  grasped  the  lever,  and  the  car  bounded  forth 
just  in  time,  for  the  cries  of  our  baffled  pursuers  came 
from  only  a  few  feet  behind.  We  sat  down  panting  on 
the  seats. 

*'  We  are  saved,  we  are  saved !  "  I  exclaimed  between 
breaths. 

"  Listen !  "  cried  the  doctor. 

The  gigantic  columns  were  whirling  by  us  in  a  blur, 
but  we  could  hear  nothing  save  the  slight  noise  of  the 
speeding  car. 

"  I  heard  a  gong !  "  said  the  doctor. 

We  listened  again  and  this  time  we  caught  a  peculiar 
sound.  The  car  now  made  a  curve,  giving  us  com- 
mand for  a  few  minutes  of  a  considerable  stretch  of 


FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT  377 

track  over  which  we  had  come.  A  car  was  swiftly  cut~ 
ting  the  air  in  pursuit ! 

"  Give  her  the  last  notch  of  power !  "  I  cried. 

It  was  a  beautiful  race.  We  had  about  a  mile  the 
best  of  it,  but  what  was  a  mile  to  the  radium  energy  of 
these  vehicles?  It  did  not  represent  half  a  minute  — 
it  was  a  mere  bagatelle.  Our  pursuers  had  lost  little 
time.  Could  we  reach  the  Hall  in  time  to  give  us  a 
fair  start  on  foot?  The  doctor  applied  all  his  atten- 
tion to  the  mechanism  at  his  command.  He  under- 
stood thoroughly  the  art  of  motoring  —  he  knew  just 
when  to  slacken  power  and  when  to  turn  it  on  full 
speed.  Now  he  had  become  a  very  daredevil.  Down 
grade  and  up  grade  we  went  faster  than  the  wind. 
The  car  rocked  violently  at  the  curves.  I  never 
traveled  so  fast  before  and  I  hope  I  may  never  travel 
so  fast  again.  There  was  a  hurricane  swish  to  the 
air,  and  momently  I  expected  we  would  be  sent 
flying  in  all  directions.  Now  and  then  we  caught  a 
glimpse  of  our  pursuers.  They  seemed  neither  to  gain 
nor  to  lose.  The  same  power  that  supplied  us  supplied 
them.  Much  depended  on  the  man  in  charge,  but  it 
was  evident  the  enemy  was  as  reckless  and  determined 
as  the  doctor.  On  and  on  through  the  semi-night  of 
the  Atlantian  solitudes  the  two  cars  flew  on  their  wild 
career.     We  were  quickly  beyond  the  region  affected 


378  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

by  the  explosion  and  no  smoke  now  obscured  the  lights 
of  the  dome.  Perhaps  ten  minutes  had  passed  when 
we  saw  these  lights  growing  preceptibly  closer.  I  took 
advantage  of  the  chance  to  reload  the  empty  chambers 
of  my  pistol. 

"  We  are  nearly  there,"  shouted  the  doctor,  "  hold 
fast !  " 

The  car  began  to  slacken  and  suddenly  it  stopped 
with  a  frightful  shock  which  pitched  us  forward  over 
the  seats.  The  doctor  had  applied  the  brakes  the  mo- 
ment he  dared,  and  he  dared  much.  As  we  alighted 
the  other  car  was  on  us.  I  gave  it  one  hurried  glance, 
and  saw  on  the  motorman's  seat  the  dwarf!  The  de- 
termined character  of  our  pursuit  was  explained. 

The  doctor  took  one  of  Astrasa's  hands  and  I  the 
other,  and  the  three  of  us  ran  along  the  defile  that  led 
through  the  stalactites  to  the  entrance  of  the  Hall. 
It  was  mostly  uphill  and  Astraea  was  fairly  carried  for 
a  large  part  of  the  distance.  We  had  covered  perhaps 
thirty  yards  when  we  heard  the  oncoming  of  the  pack 
behind.  "  I  can  go  no  farther,"  cried  Astraea.  "  Save 
yourselves !  "  With  superhuman  strength  I  took  her 
up  in  my  arms  and  hurried  on.  The  noises  in  the  rear 
increased  —  they  were  gaining  on  us.  We  came  in 
sight  of  the  tunnel  opening,  and  I  saw  a  g^ard  bar- 
ring the  way.    Pausing  a  moment  to  free  my  arm  I 


FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT  379 

quickly  fired  and  he  fell.  Astrsea  with  renewed 
strength  disengaged  herself  from  my  arms  and  ran  on 
ahead.  We  reached  the  spot  nearly  spent  and  dragged 
ourselves  into  the  cave  with  the  enemy  not  fifty  feet 
away.  For  just  a  second  I  thought  of  standing  there 
at  bay,  but  though  we  panted  for  breath  I  still  revolted 
from  shooting  down  the  hounds  save  as  a  last  resort 
and  on  we  went.  We  left  the  tunnel  and  traversed  the 
throne  room  of  Bulak.  Here,  despite  the  dangers 
that  pressed  about,  I  stopped  to  seize  the  great  diamond 
and  gave  it  to  Astrsea.  This  act  nearly  cost  us  dear, 
for  as  we  pushed  forward  again  a  man  came  rushing 
toward  us  from  behind.  I  turned  and  shot  him  as  he 
ran.  We  now  hurried  as  best  we  could  through  cham- 
ber after  chamber  of  the  mighty  Hall,  the  rabble  enter- 
ing each  room  by  one  entrance  as  we  left  it  at  the  other. 
In  some  of  the  rooms  we  encountered  inspectors,  but 
they  were  so  taken  by  surprise  that  they  did  not  have 
the  wit  to  stop  us.  Still  they  reinforced  the  ranks 
of  the  enemy,  and,  being  in  good  wind,  became  our 
most  dangerous  pursuers.  At  last  we  gained  the  final 
chamber,  the  one  next  the  sea  compartment,  where  lay 
the  submersible. 

Once  in  the  sea-chamber  with  the  door  closed  the 
victory  was  ours.  Events  now  came  swiftly,  one  on 
top  of  the  other,  and  to  this  day  I  have  only  a  vague 


38o  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

idea  of  their  succession.  I  noticed  as  I  ran  that  the 
door  to  the  sea-chamber  was  open  and  my  heart 
bounded  with  joy  as  I  saw  the  boat  —  the  object  of  our 
flight  —  looking  just  as  it  did  the  night  the  doctor  and 
I  loaded  it  with  wealth.  Then  I  looked  up  at  the  great 
copper  sheet  that  formed  the  door,  and  remembered 
with  a  flash  that  it  closed  slowly.  Should  we  go 
through  the  opening  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the 
pack  at  our  heels  from  coming  pell-mell  upon  us. 
That  would  mean  a  fight  at  close  quarters  in  the  sea- 
chamber  with  the  odds  against  us.  I  dropped  Astraea's 
hand  on  the  instant,  and  halting,  turned  swiftly  about 
so  that  I  faced  at  an  angle  the  door  through  which  we 
had  come.  As  I  did  this  I  pulled  the  second  pistol 
from  my  belt  and  stood  with  both  weapons  pointed 
ready  for  action.     Here  I  would  make  a  stand. 

"  Take  Astrsea  into  the  chamber,"  I  cried  to  the 
doctor.  "  Press  the  button  that  closes  the  door  and 
tell  me  when  it  is  nearly  shut !  " 

I  had  no  sooner  said  this  than  two  figures  came 
rushing  through  the  entrance  on  which  my  pistols 
were  trained.  I  fired  relentlessly  and  the  creatures 
pitched  forward  into  the  room.  But  behind  them  came 
a  pushing  mass.  My  weapons  belched  forth  a  continu- 
ous fire  until  nearly  every  chamber  was  empty.  Then 
there  came  a  respite  —  no  more  heads  appeared.     But 


FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT  .381 

it  was  a  bloody  piece  of  work.  The  bodies  lay  in  a 
mound  that  barred  the  entrance.  Perhaps,  had  I  stood 
directly  in  front  of  the  door  so  that  those  coming  on 
behind  could  have  seen  what  fate  awaited  them,  there 
would  have  been  less  slaughter,  but  as  it  was  they  saw 
too  late  to  retreat.  Pushed  forward  from  behind,  they 
came  within  the  zone  of  fire  and  died.  Now  the  pile 
of  bodies  told  its  tale  to  the  thinned  ranks  of  the 
enemy,  and  I  heard  them  taking  counsel  of  themselves 
beyond  the  door.  I  mounted  the  human  rampart  and 
cried : 

"  Come  on,  you  wolves !  " 

And  thereupon  I  brandished  my  nearly-emptied 
weapons  in  their  sight  and  jumped  down  beyond  their 
view.  While  hastily  reloading  a  pistol  I  glanced  at 
the  door  and  saw  that  it  had  hardly  begun  to  slide  in  its 
groove.  Astrsea  was  standing  just  beyond  the  open- 
ing, but  the  doctor  was  on  the  side  next  to  me  and 
holding  a  crowbar  in  his  hands.  My  sweeping  glance 
also  fell  upon  the  figure  of  a  man  I  had  not  before  ob- 
served. Although  in  a  state  of  mind  in  which  one 
feels  surprised  at  nothing  I  gazed  astounded.  It  was 
the  sea-surgeon !  He  stood  within  a  few  yards  of  me, 
gaping  as  one  who  had  been  struck  dumb. 

"You  here?"  I  cried. 

He  did  not  answer. 


382  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

But  this  was  no  time  for  explanation  and  I  turned 
my  attention  to  the  enemy.  My  eyes  fell  on  the 
figure  of  the  old  witch,  Ate,  framed  in  the  doorway 
beyond  the  pile  of  the  dead.  Her  face  was  livid  with 
hate  and  baffled  rage. 

"  My  husband,  too !  "  she  screamed.  Then  turning 
her  batteries  on  the  stupefied  man  she  shrieked : 

"You  ingrate!  You  two-faced  fool!  If  you  are 
not  a  traitor  seize  those  murderers !  " 

"  Silence !  "  I  cried  out  threateningly.  "  You  for- 
get, my  beauty,  that  with  your  husband  it  is  a  case  of 
one  against  two  while  with  you  and  your  friends  it  is  a 
case  of  a  whole  mob  against  two !  Come  on,  I  defy 
you  all !  " 

"  The  door  is  closing !  "  shouted  the  doctor  warn- 
ingly. 

I  slowly  backed  toward  it,  holding  my  weapons 
pointed  at  the  witch.  She  made  no  attempt  to  follow, 
for  she  was  wise  in  her  day  and  generation.  Had  she 
ventured  one  inch  too  far  I  must  have  shot  her,  and 
had  I  done  so  my  conscience  would  have  acquitted  me, 
for  a  more  vindictive,  heartless  and  sexless  old  creature 
I  know  has  never  lived.  She  now  saw  herself  utterly 
defeated  and  foiled,  and  in  her  bitter  chagrin  she  burst 
forth  in  a  stream  of  disgusting  billingsgate.  As  I 
retreated,  the  dwarf  to  complete  the  picture  appeared 


FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT  383 

at  her  side,  shooting  venomous  fire  from  his  eyes.  I 
now  spoke  out  rapidly  to  the  surgeon. 

"  Choose  quickly,  my  friend !  "  I  said.  "  Yonder 
hag  or  us.  Stay  and  you  will  play  the  victim  to  the 
monster  in  our  stead.  Come  with  us  and  you  shall  live 
in  freedom  in  a  new  land.  You  are  too  good  for  this 
wretched  country,  and  it  would  give  me  joy  to  rescue 
you  from  its  horrors  as  it  did  you  to  rescue  me  from 
the  sea.  Only  a  moment  remains !  Which  shall  it  be  ? 
Choose  and  be  quick !  " 

I  reached  the  closing  door  and  as  I  jumped  through 
the  narrowing  opening  I  held  out  my  hand  to  him. 
He  looked  wildly  about,  gave  one  last  glance  at  the 
witch  and  —  stepped  into  the  sea-chamber.  I  pro- 
tected him  with  my  pistols  as  he  entered.  As  the  door 
came  to  I  heard  the  sound  of  rushing  feet  behind  it 
and  then  a  scream  of  pain.  A  finger  had  been  caught 
between  the  shutting  sheet  of  copper  and  the  side 
of  the  chamber  and  there  it  dangled,  bleeding,  before 
our  eyes.  It  was  the  solitary  digit  of  the  dwarf's 
right  hand!  A  strange  memento  it  was  for  him  to 
contribute  to  our  flight,  and  had  I  been  of  hardier 
nature  I  should  have  kept  it  as  a  valued  souvenir,  but 
I  allowed  the  ghastly  object  to  remain  hanging  to  the 
door. 


CHAPTER  XL 

ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM 

•We  were  saved,  at  least  from  fiends  in  human  guise. 
There  yet  remained  the  perilous  journey  through  the 
sea,  but  what  were  the  terrors  of  the  elements  com- 
pared with  those  we  had  left  behind?  We  rested  a 
little  and  in  various  ways  according  to  our  natures 
showed  our  thankfulness  and  joy.  As  for  myself  I 
felt  I  had  been  resurrected  from  the  dead.  For 
months  I  had  been  restrained,  repressed  and  suffocated 
under  the  yoke  of  social  slavery,  and  the  threat  of 
dreadful  death  had  hung  above  me  like  the  sword  of 
Damocles.  But  now  I  was  myself  again.  My  bonds 
were  severed  and  a  weight  was  lifted  from  me.  Al- 
though the  sea-chamber  was  low-ceil  inged  and  water- 
tight I  could  breathe  again  as  I  had  not  breathed  for 
months. 

The  great  copper  sheet  stood  as  a  shield  against  the 
battering  foe  beyond.  As  a  precaution  I  pressed  the 
button  used  in  closing  the  door  so  that  if  the  enemy 
pressed  the  opening  button  on  the  other  side  it  would 
be  without  effect.     Then  I  gave  a  few  directions  to  the 

384 


ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM        385 

doctor  as  to  the  opening  of  the  hatch-lid  of  the  boat 
and  turned  to  the  beautiful  creature  who  had  followed 
me  with  such  a  blind  and  trusting  faith. 

This  was  the  first  opportunity  I  had  had  since  our 
flight  began  to  say  those  things  my  heart  urged  the 
utterance  of,  and  I  made  good  use  of  it.  For  some 
minutes  we  spoke  apart,  rapt  in  our  own  happiness 
and  unmindful  of  our  friends.  Then  from  the  fullness 
of  a  soul  overcharged  with  emotion  she  gave  utterance 
to  the  wish  that  we  might  be  married  then  and  there. 
"  For  death  may  lie  before  us,"  she  said  with  the  simple 
innocence  of  a  child,  "  and  even  if  for  only  a  brief 
moment  I  want  you  for  my  own." 

The  surgeon  overheard  and  answered  hesitatingly: 

"  Begging  the  pardon  of  you  both,  but  your  wish 
may  be  granted,  if  you  desire,  for  I  have  the  right  to 
perform  the  ceremony  imder  the  laws  of  Atlantis." 

"  Good ! "  I  exclaimed  joyfully,  "  we  accept  your 
services,  and  when  we  reach  the  land  above  we  shall 
have  still  another  ceremony  under  the  laws  of  the 
United  States." 

There  in  the  sea-chamber  fathoms  down,  with  the 
water  pressing  on  one  side  and  the  wretches  crying 
for  our  death  on  the  other,  the  surgeon  pronounced 
those  words  that  made  us  man  and  wife.  The  doctor, 
much  aflfected,    stood    as    the   living  witness    of   the 


386  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

nuptials,  and  though  no  register  save  that  which  is  kept 
on  high  records  the  vows  that  made  us  one,  yet  two 
beings  were  never  more  firmly  united  than  were 
Astrsea  and  I  that  day. 

The  ceremony  over,  I  led  my  bride  to  the  submarine, 
while  the  surgeon  stood  guard  over  the  door.  We 
mounted  to  the  conning-tower  on  planks  which  our 
two  friends  had  removed  from  the  interior  of  the 
boat,  where  it  will  be  remembered  the  doctor  and  I 
had  placed  them  to  cover  the  gold  and  precious  stones. 
When  we  descended  the  ladder  through  the  hatch- 
way I  hastily  examined  everything,  to  judge  if  the 
boat  was  ready  for  the  sea.  It  appeared  that  no  one 
had  entered  it  since  last  the  doctor  and  I  had  left  it. 
Perhaps  the  minions  of  the  State  had  been  too  lethargic, 
or  perhaps  they  were  unable  to  open  the  hatch-lid.  To 
make  sure  the  air-chambers  were  full  and  the  batteries 
charged,  the  doctor  and  I  started  the  gasoline  motor, 
but,  fairly  satisfied  that  all  was  right,  we  stopped  it 
quickly,  lest  the  air  in  the  chamber  should  become  too 
foul. 

We  had  been  in  the  chamber  some  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes,  and  it  became  necessary  that  we  hasten  with 
what  remained  to  be  done.  I  now  called  on  the 
surgeon  to  open  the  valves  that  let  in  the  water  from 
the  sea,  and  it  was  soon  spurting  in  torrents  through 


ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM         387 

two  large  pipes.  Suddenly  I  remembered  that  the  sea- 
door  would  not  open  unless  the  pressure  on  both  its 
sides  was  equal  and  how  the  button  was  to  be  pressed 
to  open  it  when  the  chamber  was  filled  with  water  and 
the  four  of  us  were  in  the  boat  with  the  hatch-lid  down 
was  a  problem  that  caused  my  heart  to  sink.  I  rushed 
from  the  vessel  and  cried  out  in  my  perplexity,  but  the 
doctor  followed  and  quickly  relieved  me  by  pointing  to 
a  rigging  of  timbers  and  boards  that  stretched  to  the 
ceiling  against  one  part  of  the  wall. 

"  The  crowbar  there  is  wedged  against  the  button," 
he  explained,  "  and  as  soon  as  the  chamber  fills  the  door 
will  open." 

He  and  the  surgeon  had  been  grappling  with  the 
difficulty  while  Astraea  and  I  had  been  engrossed  with 
each  other. 

Now  the  chamber  was  filling  rapidly,  and  we  stood 
to  our  hips  in  the  water  watching  the  boat.  Would 
it  float?  At  last  we  climbed  aboard  and  stood  by  the 
conning-tower.  The  water  rose  higher  and  higher 
and  now  it  began  to  lap  the  sides  far  up.  The  boat 
trembled,  rocked  a  little  and  then  floated.  Highly 
elated  we  retreated  down  the  hatchway.  The  boat 
rose  gradually  until  the  open  hatch-lid  touched  the 
ceiling  and  then  I  closed  it  with  a  bang.  The  doctor 
took  charge  of  the  steering  wheel  and  signal  buttons  in 


388  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

the  tower  and  the  surgeon  and  I  placed  ourselves 
under  his  orders.  Astraea  also  stood  by  to  render  all 
the  assistance  she  could. 

The  doctor  gave  orders  quick  and  fast.  First  it  was 
to  fill  the  trimming  tanks  to  bring  the  vessel  to  an  even 
keel.  Then  the  ballast  tanks  were  filled,  for,  not  know- 
ing the  buoyancy  of  the  boat,  it  was  well  to  guard 
against  a  too  sudden  rise  that  might  involve  us  in 
overhanging  crags  or  caves  surrounding  the  wall  of 
Atlantis. 

"  We  shall,  if  possible,"  said  the  doctor,  "  proceed 
some  distance  near  the  sea's  bottom  until  we  are  well 
clear  of  the  reefs." 

The  electric  motor,  now  connected  with  the  pro- 
peller-shaft, began  to  hum.  There  was  a  grating 
sound  as  the  top  of  the  hatch-lid  grazed  the  ceiling 
of  the  chamber.  The  steering-gear  clanked,  and  the 
propeller  continued  to  revolve.  The  grating  sound 
ceased.  We  must  have  left  the  chamber!  There 
was  a  peculiar  vibration  to  the  vessel,  and  the 
sound  of  the  machinery  prevented  ordinary  talk. 
Were  we  going  fast?  It  was  impossible  to  tell.  I 
jumped  to  look  at  the  depth  indicator,  but  it  told 
nothing  —  it  had  not  moved  and  perhaps  was  out 
of  order.  The  heavy  glass  in  the  tower  through  which 
one  could  look  into  the  sea  was  dark  and  impenetrable. 


ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM         389 

"  We  must  go  it  blind,"  said  the  doctor  in  my  ear. 
"  We  are  like  a  lot  of  children  with  this  thing.  For 
my  part,  I  must  confess  I  have  no  idea  of  direction.  I 
can  not  tell  how  fast  we  are  going  or  where  we  are 
going,  or  whether  we  are  ascending  or  remaining  at 
the  bottom.  I  hope  and  believe  we  are  going  out  from 
Atlantis,  but  if  you  think  best  we  will  empty  the  tanks 
and  make  sure  we  are  rising." 

"  Empty  the  tanks,  by  all  means !  As  it  is,  we  may 
be  in  imminent  danger  of  running  into  a  rock,"  I  ex- 
claimed. 

The  surgeon  and  myself  applied  ourselves  to  the 
task,  but  it  was  some  time  before  we  succeeded  in 
blowing  out  the  first  tank.  As  we  were  proceeding  to 
blow  out  the  second  one  we  heard  the  doctor,  who  had 
remained  at  his  post,  give  a  strange  cry.  Immediately 
I  ran  to  his  side.  A  dim  light  was  coming  through  the 
glass  and  he  was  gazing  into  the  sea. 

"  We  are  in  front  of  the  amphitheater !  "  he  called 
out. 

I  looked  through  the  glass  and  saw  before  me  as 
wild  and  weird  a  picture  as  ever  mortal  eye  beheld. 
There  directly  in  our  front  was  the  gigantic  pit  bril- 
liantly illuminated  and  still  filled  with  a  moving  mass 
of    humanity. 

"  We  are  going  right  into  it !  "  I  cried. 


390  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

"  We  were,  but  we  are  not  now,"  returned  the 
doctor.  "  I  am  steering  to  port.  However,  we  will 
cruise  close  by." 

I  called  Astraea  and  then  the  surgeon,  that  they 
might  see  the  wonderful  sight.  The  surgeon,  however, 
gave  it  only  a  brief  look  and  returned  below  with  the 
remark  that  he  had  seen  it  many  times  before  and 
that  his  duty  was  with  the  motors  and  machinery  aft. 

"  Finish  the  tanks,"  said  the  doctor  to  him,  and  then 
he  continued  to  comment : 

"  This  light  gives  me  a  good  chance  to  practise." 

He  tugged  at  the  wheel  and  under  his  manipulation 
the  boat  shot  directly  at  the  amphitheater  and  then 
darted  away  again.  As  we  ran  close  in  I  saw  that 
the  multitude  was  greatly  excited.  The  whole  con- 
course seemed  to  be  standing  on  the  seats  and  waving 
their  arms  frantically.  As  for  the  arena,  it  was  a  mass 
of  debris  and  human  creatures.  Perhaps  the  people 
were  removing  the  dead  who  had  been  killed  when  the 
monument  exploded. 

"  The  boat  is  rising,"  exclaimed  the  doctor.  The 
strange  scene  was  sinking  slowly  before  our  eyes. 

I  turned  away  for  an  instant  and  looked  at  the  sea 
in  the*  opposite  direction.  As  I  did  so  my  blood  was 
almost  congealed  with  terror.  We  had  run  upon  the 
monster ! 


ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM         391 

Immediately  there  came  a  frightful  blow  upon  the 
deck  and  the  vessel  shivered  in  every  beam.  Then  we 
began  to  sink  and  list.  The  motor  still  buzzed,  but  all 
progress  seemed  to  stop.  It  was  too  evident  we  were 
in  the  grasp  of  the  kraken. 

So  unexpectedly  had  it  all  come  about  that  both  the 
doctor  and  myself  were  completely  unnerved. 

"  We  are  lost !  "  cried  my  friend. 

I  thought  so  myself,  but  only  for  a  second.  My  ex- 
perience in  grappling  at  close  quarters  with  death  had 
not  been  for  naught,  and  now  my  faculties  quickly 
revived.  I  looked  through  the  glass  and  saw  the  eyes 
and  mouth  of  the  monster  at  the  very  bow  of  the  craft. 
It  seemed  to  be  trying  to  swallow  us  whole. 

"  Back  the  boat !  "  I  commanded. 

The  doctor  frantically  endeavored  to  obey,  but 
though  the  propeller  was  reversed  and  the  motor  was 
going  at  top  speed  the  vessel  remained  stationary.  But 
not  altogether  stationary  either,  for  as  I  gazed  the  am- 
phitheater seemed  to  be  veering  directly  forward  witK 
the  beast  between.  The  boat  now  listed  badly.  A 
blow  came  upon  the  port  side  and  then  one  on  the 
starboard  —  surely  we  would  be  battered  to  pieces.  In 
moments  of  danger  the  mind  sometimes  works  auto- 
matically, and  ideas  shape  themselves  without  our 
knowing  how.    It  was  thus  that  I  suddenly  recalled  the 


392  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

torpedo  that  had  been  left  in  the  tube.  I  gave  a  swift 
look  ahead  and  saw  the  cavernous  mouth  of  the  beast 
apparently  encircling  the  bow,  while  through  two  of 
its  huge  arms  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  swaying  multi- 
tude only  a  short  distance  away. 

"  The  torpedo,  the  torpedo !  "  I  yelled. 

I  jumped  for  the  forward  compartment,  followed 
by  the  doctor.  At  my  cry  the  surgeon  also  came 
running  up. 

"  We  must  discharge  it  and  trust  that  it  hits  the 
beast !  "  I  continued. 

"  But  first,"  the  doctor  put  in  quickly,  "  are  all  the 
tanks  empty  ?  " 

"  Emptied  the  last  one  before  we  struck,"  replied 
the  surgeon. 

"  Is  the  motor  running  full  speed  ?  " 

"  It  is." 

We  then  determined  that  Astraea,  who  was  standing 
by  eager  to  help,  should  assist  the  surgeon  in  manag- 
ing the  torpedo.  Giving  them  the  needful  instructions 
as  to  opening  the  bow  port  and  turning  on  the  com- 
pressed air,  we  closed  the  breech  and  the  doctor  and 
I  returned  to  the  tower.  The  doctor  took  hold  of  the 
steering  wheel  and  brought  into  play  the  horizontal 
rudder.  I  looked  into  the  sea  and  saw  the  monster 
directly  ahead.     The  amphitheater,  too,  seemed  closer 


ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM         393 

than  ever,  and  I  warned  the  doctor  that  the  trans- 
parent wall  must  be  close  at  hand. 

"  Out  with  it !  "  I  exclaimed. 

I  glued  my  eyes  to  the  dead  lights.  But  I  had  not 
long  to  wait.  There  was  a  thud  and  a  sound  of  in- 
rushing  water  —  the  torpedo  had  left  on  its  mission. 
At  the  same  instant  the  beast  must  have  given  a  plunge, 
for  the  boat  tilted  badly  forward  and  a  resounding 
blow  smashed  against  the  keel.  Had  the  torpedo 
missed  its  mark?  For  the  fraction  of  a  second  I 
thought  I  saw  it  suspended  in  mid-sea.  Then  came 
a  dull  booming  report,  a  great  concussion  and  a  white 
cloud  of  foam,  blotted  out  the  scene. 

The  vessel  seemed  to  be  thrown  violently  through 
the  sea,  but  it  recovered  itself  rapidly.  The  doctor 
and  I  had  been  thrown  down  and  now  we  jumped 
again  to  our  posts.  Was  the  boat  injured?  It  rolled' 
heavily,  and  then  righted  itself  on  an  even  keel.  Now 
it  began  to  move  —  we  were  certain  of  it.  Thank 
Heaven  the  monster,  whether  killed  or  not,  had  released 
its  hold.  The  milky  cloud  against  the  glass  was  dis- 
appearing and  I  was  gazing  at  the  sea  when  suddenly 
I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  most  appalling  sight.  There 
directly  before  my  eyes  was  the  brilliantly-lighted 
amphitheater  with  a  torrent  of  water  pouring  into  the 
arena  and  thousands  of  creatures  like  ants  struggling 


394  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

with  the  flood!  What  had  happened  was  readily  ap- 
parent. The  torpedo  had  struck  the  Crystalhne  Wall 
and  made  a  gap  into  which  the  sea  was  rushing.  The 
doctor  also  saw  and  understood.  With  set  features  he 
grappled  with  the  steering  wheel. 

Full  of  awe  I  continued  to  look  into  the  sea.  Should 
we  escape  the  maelstrom  or  should  we  be  hurled 
through  the  vent  in  the  wall  to  become  victims  of  the 
frightful  cataclysm  ?  Fortunately  the  impact  of  the  con- 
cussion or  else  the  frantic  action  of  the  beast  had  given 
the  vessel  an  impetus  upward  which  it  had  not  entirely 
lost,  and  soon  the  effect  of  the  horizontal  rudder  and 
the  sturdy  propeller  began  to  tell  in  our  favor.  Slowly 
but  steadily  we  made  headway  against  the  current 
that  was  setting  in  toward  the  gap.  Gradually,  too, 
the  water  cleared,  and  we  obtained  a  plain  view  of  the 
amphitheater  as  it  sank  slowly  beneath  us.  We  saw 
that  the  pit  had  become  a  turbulent  lake,  on  the  surface 
of  which  we  could  make  out  a  scum  of  scarlet  hue  — 
the  color  of  the  common  garb  of  Atlantis !  The  water 
still  spurted  over  the  scene  like  a  geyser.  The 
dreadful  sight  became  dimmer  and  dimmer  as  it  re- 
ceded into  the  depths,  and  at  last  was  blotted  from 
our  view. 

Nothing  but  the  blackness  of  the  deep  appeared 
against  the  glass. 


ATLANTIS  MEETS  ITS  DOOM         395 

By  and  by  I  again  caught  the  faint  suggestion  of 
light  through  the  glass.  I  had  been  looking  for  it 
ardently,  and  now  I  was  rewarded. 

"  We  are  nearing  the  surface !  "  I  called  out,  over- 
joyed, to  my  excited  companions. 

The  boat  began  to  roll  slightly  and  the  light  grew 
gray.  At  last  I  raised  the  hatch-lid  and,  putting  my 
head  and  shoulders  through  it,  I  looked  on  the  full 
moon  shining  far  up  in  the  heavens  while  all  about 
•was  the  dark  and  heaving  sea. 

"  And  is  that  the  sun?  "  asked  the  surgeon  with  awe. 

"  No,  it  is  the  moon,  it  is  night,"  I  replied. 

"  How  beautiful  is  the  world !  "  said  Astraea. 

"  How  sublime !  "  said  the  surgeon. 

The  doctor  said  nothing,  but  gazed  as  one  whose 
emotions  were  beyond  utterance. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

CONCLUSION 

Every  story  like  a  play  needs  an  epilogue.  When 
I  began  to  write  these  memoirs  I  had  intended  to 
deal  at  length  with  the  experiences  of  Astraea,  the 
doctor  and  the  surgeon  under  those  institutions  of 
individual  freedom  which  are  so  familiar  to  us  but 
which  to  them  were  as  a  new  revelation  of  truth.  But 
I  find  I  have  already  spun  my  story  to  an  unconscion- 
able length,  and,  besides,  the  labor  of  writing  is  a 
wearying  task  to  one  who  is  long  past  his  prime  and 
seeks  only  comfort  and  leisure  for  the  days  that  yet 
remain.  Allow  me  then  to  lay  down  my  pen  with  but 
half  my  object  gained.  It  is  with  personal  regret  that 
I  feel  impelled  to  this  conclusion,  but  I  find  consola- 
tion in  the  thought  that  the  half  that  has  been  done  is 
the  more  important  half,  since  I  who  was  there  alone 
could  tell  of  that  strange  land  where  socialism  brought 
to  a  sad  and  evil  pass  a  civilization  once  preeminent 
in  the  world.  Others  can  report  the  things  of  the  liv- 
ing present,  but  Atlantis  is  now  dead  and  buried, 
overwhelmed  by  the  wrath  of  God.     My  tale,  I  feel, 

396 


CONCLUSION  397 

is  crudely  told,  but  it  has  the  merit  of  veracity,  and 
right  glad  am  I  that  I  have  done  my  duty  according 
to  my  light  in  preserving  for  mankind  an  account 
of  the  nation  that  through  its  worship  of  Social  Equal- 
ity went  down  to  destruction. 

A  few  words  more,  and  I  shall  conclude.  When 
we  landed  in  our  boat  it  was  on  the  lonely  coast  of 
a  small  island  in  the  West  Indies.  We  buried 
our  wealth  and  obtained  food  and  shelter  in  the  miser- 
able hut  of  a  native.  After  some  days  of  anxieties  and 
difficulties  we  were  supplied  with  the  habiliments  of 
civilization,  and  one  day  a  ship,  which  I  had  chartered, 
stood  off  the  island  and  took  on  board  an  assortment 
of  trunks  and  chests  and  a  party  of  four,  three  of 
whom  were  much  bewildered.  In  due  time  we  arrived 
in  New  York,  where  one  of  the  first  of  my  pleasant 
duties  was  to  lease  a  considerable  space  in  a  safety  de- 
posit vault.  Returning  after  many  days  to  the  island, 
we  searched  for,  but  could  not  find,  the  submarine, 
which  we  had  left  in  a  little  nook  well-hidden  by 
tropical  foliage.  It  had  gone  to  join  the  mysteries 
of  the  sea. 

For  some  years  we  traveled,  with  one  principal  ob- 
ject in  view,  that  of  living  where  the  temperature  was 
neither  hot  nor  cold.  The  summer  found  us  far  in 
the  north,  and  the  winter  in  the  south.     In  the  course 


398  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

of  time  my  wife  and  our  two  companions  became 
inured  to  the  climatic  changes,  and  to  some  degree  also 
was  their  curiosity  satisfied  as  to  the  many  lands  and 
nations  that  cover  the  globe.  But  they  liked  no  coun- 
try so  well  as  the  United  States,  and  here  we  went  into 
railroads  and  mining,  employing  many  men  and  con- 
tributing our  energy  to  the  building  up  of  the  pros- 
perity of  the  people.  The  doctor  became  greatly  inter- 
ested in  scientific  research,  and  was  ever  grateful  to 
me  for  rescuing  him  from  his  miserable  life  in  At- 
lantis. The  surgeon  developed  a  predilection  for 
medicine,  arid  became  a  man  of  note  in  his  profession. 
He  never  regretted  the  day  when,  filled  with  grief, 
he  took  himself  to  the  Hall  of  Curiosities  to  be  as  far 
removed  as  possible  from  the  scene  of  my  execution ; 
and  though  one  of  the  reasons  that  took  him  to  the 
Hall,  even  on  that  occasion,  was  to  bewail  the  failure 
of  the  project  to  remove  the  gold  beyond  the  reach  of 
man,  yet  I  never  heard  him  utter  one  criticism  of  the 
use  to  which  I  put  our  wealth.  He  became  an  in- 
dividualist of  the  most  ultra  type,  and  both  he  and  the 
doctor  lived  to  a  good  age  in  the  enjoyment  of  our 
liberties. 

As  for  the  beautiful  woman  who  was  my  wife,  many 
of  my  friends  still  hold  her  in  endearing  memory. 
While  she  lived  she  was  inseparable  from  me,  going 


CONCLUSION  399 

with  me  on  my  many  journeys,  consoling  me  in  my 
sorrows  and  partaking  of  my  joys.  In  our  mansion  in 
town,  overlooking  Central  Park,  she  was  a  charming 
hostess,  admired  and  cultivated  by  the  highest  circle  of 
society,  not  that  circle  which  in  vanity  and  display  finds 
miserable  pastime,  but  that  circle  which  includes  the 
noblest  and  most  intellectual  people  of  the  day.  When 
she  died  she  left  me  a  lonely  and  broken  man.  A 
mausoleum  now  stands  where  she  is  buried,  and  the 
flowers  I  put  there  never  wither  before  fresh  ones  take 
their  place. 

While  they  were  with  me,  my  wife,  my  friends  and  I 
faithfully  observed  a  compact  made  between  ourselves 
to  disclose  nothing  concerning  the  submerged  realm. 
We  did  not  think  it  well  to  inflame  the  minds  of  ven- 
turesome spirits  by  telling  of  the  hoarded  wealth  that 
still  lies  buried  in  the  Hall  of  Curiosities.  I  also  had  a 
fancy  to  keep  secret  the  nature  of  our  possessions,  and 
then  I  had  a  dread  of  incurring  ridicule  and  insinua- 
tions as  to  our  sanity  should  we  endeavor  to  take  the 
world  into  our  confidence.  Now,  however,  I  feel  that 
the  lessons  taught  by  the  social  institutions  of  Atlantis 
should  not  be  lost  to  mankind.  By  giving  my  story 
to  the  public  a  few  may  be  encouraged  to  risk  their 
lives  in  a  search  for  the  buried  treasure,  but  they  must 
understand  I  assume  no  responsibility  for  their  con- 


400  THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE 

duct,  or  for  the  success  or  failure  of  their  enterprises. 
Others  there  may  be  who  will  be  incredulous,  but  what 
they  say  can  affect  me  little.  My  life  is  now  nearing 
its  end  and  I  am  no  longer  sensitive  to  the  criticism 
of  men.  Let  the  whole  world  believe  my  story  or  not 
believe  —  I  still  have  done  my  duty  and  found  some 
pleasure  in  the  doing  of  it. 


THE   END 


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romantic  fiction  relying  for  its  effect  upon  character  rather  than  inci- 
dent, and  upon  vivid  dramatic  presentation." — The  Dial.  "A  stirring, 
briliiant  and  dashing  story." — The  Oatlook. 

THE  SECRET  ORCHARD.   Illustrated  by  Charles  D.  Williams. 

The  "  Secret  Orchard"  is  set  in  the  midst  of  the  ultra  modern  society. 
The  scene  is  in  Paris,  but  most  of  the  characters  are  English  speak- 
ing. The  story  was  dramatized  in  London,  and  in  it  the  Kendalls 
scored  a  great  theatrical  success, 

"  Artfully  contrived  and  full  of  romantic  charm  *  «  «  it  pog. 
sesses  ingenuity  of  incident,  a  figurative  designation  of  the  unhal- 
lowed scenes  in  which  unlicensed  love  accomplishes  and  wrecks  faith 
and  happiness." — Athenaeum. 

YOUNG  APRIL.     With  illustrations  by  A.  B.  Wenzell. 

*'  It  is  everything  that  a  good  romance  should  be,  and  it  carries 
about  it  an  air  of  distinction  both  rare  and  delightful." — Chicago 
Tribune.  "  With  regret  one  turns  to  the  last  page  of  this  delightful 
novel,  so  delicate  in  its  romance,  so  brilliant  in  its  episodes,  so  spark- 
ling in  its  art,  and  so  exquisite  in  its  diction. " —  Worcester  Spy. 

FLOWER  O'  THE  ORANGE.     With  frontispiece. 

We  have  learned  to  expect  from  these  fertile  authors  novels  grace- 
ful in  form,  brisk  in  movement,  and  romantic  in  conception.  This 
carries  the  reader  back  to  the  days  of  the  bewigged  and  beruffled 
gallants  of  the  seventeenth  century  and  tells  him  of  feats  of  arms  and 
adventures  in  love  as  thrilling  and  picturesque,  yet  delicate,  as  the 
utmost  seeker  of  romance  mav  ask. 

MY  MERRY  ROCKHURST.    Illustrated  by  Arthur  E.  Becher. 

In  the  eight  stories  of  a  courtier  of  King  Charles  Second,  which  are 
here  gathered  together,  the  Castles  are  at  their  best,  reviving  all  the 
fragrant  charm  of  those  books,  like  The  Pride  of  Jennico.  in  which 
they  first  shov/ed  an  instinct,  amounting  to  genius,  for  sunny  romances. 
The  book  is  absorbing  *  *  *  and  is  as  spontaneous  in  feeling  as  it  is 
artistic  in  execution." — New  York  Tribune. 

GROSSET  &.  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  -  -  New  York 


FAMOUS  COPYRIGHT  BOOKS 

IN  POPULAR  PRICED  EDITIONS 

Re-!ssues  of  tne  great  literary  successes  of  the  time,  library  size, 
printed  on  excellent  paper — most  of  them  finely  illustrated.  Full  and 
handsomely  bound  in  cloth.    Pricej  75  cents  a  volume,  postpaid. 

THE  CATTLE  BARON'S  DAUGMTER.    A  Novel.  By  Harold 
Bindioss.     With  illustrations  by  David  Ericson. 

A  story  of  the  fight  for  the  cattle-ranges  of  the  West.  Intense  in- 
terest is  aroused  by  its  pictures  of  life  in  the  cattle  country  at  that 
critical  moment  of  transition  when  the  great  tracts  of  land  used  for 
grazing  were  taken  up  by  the  incoming:  homesteaders,  with  the  in- 
evitable result  of  fierce  contest,  of  passionate  emotion  on  both  sides, 
and  of  final  triumph  of  the  inevitable  tendency  of  the  times. 

WINSTON  OF  THE  PRAIRIE.    With  illustrations  in  color  by 
W.  Herbert  Dunton. 

A  man  of  upright  character,  young  and  clean,  but  badly  worsted 
\n  the  battle  of  life,  consents  as  a  desperate  resort  to  impersonate  for 
a  period  a  man  of  his  own  age — scoundrelly  in  character  but  of  an 
anstocratic  and  moneyed  family.  The  better  man  finds  himself  barred 
from  resuming  his  old  name.  How,  coming  into  the  other  man's  pos- 
sessions, he  wins  the  respect  of  all  men,  and  the  love  of  a  fastidiouSt 
delicately  nurtured  girl,  is  the  thread  upon  which  the  story  hangs.  It 
IS  one  of  the  best  novels  of  the  West  that  has  appeared  for  yeajs. 

THAT  MAINWARING  AFFAIR.      By  A.  Maynard  Barbour. 
With  illustrations  by  £.  Plaisted  Abbott. 

A  novel  with  a  most  intricate  and  carefully  unraveled  plot.  A 
naturally  probable  and  excellently  developed  story  and  the  reader 
Vkill  follow  the  fortunes  of  each  character  with  unabating  interest 
*  *  %*  the  interest  is  keen  at  the  close  of  the  first  chapter  and  in- 
creases to  the  end. 

AT  THE  TIME  APPOINTED.    WiA  a  frontispiece  in  color* 
by  J.  H.  Marchfmd. 

The  fortunes  of  a  young  mining  engineer  who  through  an  accident 
loses  his  memory  and  identity.  In  his  new  character  and  under  his 
new  name,  the  hero  lives  a  new  life  of  struggle  |and  adventure.  _  The 
volume  will  be  found  highly  entertaining  by  those  who  appreciate  a 
thoroughly  good  story. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,         -         -         New  York 


FAMOUS    COPYRIGHT    BOOKIS 
IN  POPULAR  PRICED  EDITIONS 

Re-issues  of  the  great  literary  successes  of  the  time.  Library 
size.  Printed  on  excellent  paper — most  of  them  with  illustra- 
tions of  marked  beauty — and  handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 
Price,  75  cents  a  volume,  postpaid. 

THE  CIRCULAR  STAIRCASE,  By  Mary  Roberts  Reinliar* 

With  illustrations  by  Lester  Ralph. 
In  an  extended  notice  the  New  York  Sun  %iiy%:  "  To  readers 
who  care  for  a  really  good  detective  story 'The  Circular  Stair- 
case '  can  be  recommended  without  reservation.  The  Philadelphia 
Record  declares  that  "  The  Circular  Staircase  "  deserves  the  laur- 
els for  thrills,  for  weirdness  and  things  unexplained  and  inexplicable. 

THE  RED  YEAR,  By  Louis  Tracy 

"  Mr.  Tracy'^gives  by  far  the  most  realistic  and  impre-ssive  pic- 
tures of  the  horrors  and  heroisms  of  the  Indian  Mutiny  that 
has  been  available  in  any  book  of  the  kind  *  *  *  There  has  not 
been  in  modern  times  in  the  history  of  any  land  scenes  so  fear-- 
ful,  so  picturesque,  so  dramatic,  and  Mr.  Tracy  draws  them  aa 
with  the  pencil  of  a  Verestschagin  of  the  pen  of  a  Sienkiewics." ' 

ARMS  ATID  THE  WOMAN,  By  Harold  MacGraih 

With  inlay  cover  in  colors  by  Harrison  Fisher. 
The  story  is  a  blending  of  the  romance  and  adventure  of  the 
middle  ages  with  nineteenth  century  men  and  women ;  and  they  are 
creations  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  not  mere  pictures  of  past  centuries. 
The  story  is  about  Jack  Winthrop,  a  newspaper  man.  Mr.  Mac» 
Grath's  finest  bit  of  character  drawing  is  seen  in  Hillars,  the  bro- 
ken down  newspaper  man,  and  Jack's  chum. 

LOVE  IS  THE  SUM  OF  IT  ALL,  By  Geo.  Cary  Eggleston 

With  illustrations  by  Hermann  Heyer. 

In  this  "  plantation  romance  "  Mr.  Eggleston  has  resumed  the 
manner  and  method  that  made  his  "  Dorothy  South  "  one  of  the 
most  famous  books  of  its  time. 

There  are  three  tender  love  stories  embodied  in  it,  and  two 
unusually  interesting  heroines,  utterly  unlike  each  other,  but  each 
possessed  of  a  peculiar  fascination  which  wins  and  holds  the  read- 
er's sympathy.  A  pleasing  vein  of  gentle  humor  runs  through  the 
•work,  but  the  "  sum  of  it  all "  is  an  intensely  sympathetic  love  story. 

HEARTS  AND  THE  CROSS,    By  Harold  Morton  Cramer 

With  illustrations  by  Harold  Matthews  Brett. 
The  hero  is  an  unconventional  preacher  who  follows  the  line  of 
the  Man  of  Galilee,  associating  with  the  lowly,  and  working  for 
them  in  the  ways  that  may  best  serve  them.  He  is  not  recognized 
at  his  real  value  except  by  the  one  woman  who  saw  clearly.  Their 
love  story  is  one  of  the  refreshing  things  in  recent  fiction. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP.  Publishers,      -      -      NEW  YORK 


FAMOUS    COPYRIGHT    BOOKS 
IN  POPULAR  PRICED  EDITIONS 

Re-issues  of  the  great  literary  successes  of  the  time.  Library 
size.  Printed  on  excellent  paper — most  of  them  with  illustra- 
tions of  marked  beauty — and  handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 
Price,  75  cents  a  volume,  postpaid. 

A  SIX-CYUNDER  COURTSHIP,  By  Edw.  Salisbury  Field 

With  a  color  frontispiece  by  Harrison  Fisher,  and  illustra- 
tions by  Clarence   F.   Underwood,  decorated  pages  and  end 
sheets.    Harrison  Fisher  head  in  colors  on  cover.    Boxed. 
A  story  of  cleverness.    It  is  a  jolly  good  romance  of  love  at 
first  sight  that  will  be  read  with  undoubted  pleasure.     Automobll- 
ing  figures  in  the  story  which  is  told  with  light,  bright  touches, 
while  a  happy  gift  o.^  humor  permeates  it  all. 

*'  The  book  is  full  of  interesting  folks.  The  patois  of  the  garage  is 
xised  with  full  comic  and  realistic  effect,  and  effervescently,  cul- 
minating in  the  usual  happy  finish." — St.  Louii  Mirror. 

AT  THE  FOOT  OF  THE  RAINBOW, 

By  Gene  Stratton-Porter  Author  of  "  FRECKLES  ** 

With  illustrations  in  color  by  Oliver  Kemp,  decorations  by 
Ralph  Fletcher  Seymour  and  inlay  cover  in  colors. 
%  The  story  is  one  of  devoted  friendship,  and  tender  self-sacrific- 
ing love;  the  friendship  that  gives  freely  without  return,  and  the 
love  that  seeks  first  the  happiness  of  the  object.  The  novel  is 
brimful  of  the  most  beautiful  word  painting  of  nature  and  its 
pathos  and  tender  sentiment  will  endear  it  to  all. 

JUDITH  OF  THE  CUM3ERLANDS,  By  Alice  MacGowan 

With  illustrations  in  colors,  and  inlay  cover  bj'  George  Wright. 
No  one  can  fail  to  enjoy  this  moving  tale  with  its  lovely  and  ar- 
dent heroine,  its  frank,  fearless  hero,  its  glowing  love  passages, 
and  its  variety  of  characters,  captivating  or  engaging  humorous 
or  saturnine,  villains,  rascals,  and  men  of  good  will.  A  tale  strong 
and  interesting  in  plot,  faithful  and  vivid  as  a  picture  of  wild 
mountain  life,  and  in  its  characterization  full  of  warmth  and  glow. 

A  MILUON  A  MINUTE,  By  Hudson  Douglas 

With  illustrations  by  Will  Grefe. 
Has  the  catchiest  of  titles,  and  it  is  a  ripping  good  tale  from 
Chapter  I  to  Finis — no  weighty  problems  to  be  solved,  but  just  a 
fine  miming  story,  full  of  exciting  incidents,  that  never  seemed 
strained  or  improbable.  It  is  a  dainty  love  yam  involving  three 
men  and  a  girl.    There  is  not  a  dull  or  trite  situation  in  the  book. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP.  Publishers,      -  NEW  YORK 


